Interstella 5555: Paint the Sky with Stars
by Fan-of-Insert-Sues
Summary: A mysterious antagonist kidnaps an alien music band from a different galaxy. The hero sent to rescue them tails the kidnappers and crash lands on earth. A young woman driving through a storm nearly runs down said hero. Completed!
1. Chapter 1

(a/n) Here is the first chapter to my Interstella 5555 fan fiction! Yay! It follows the movie so it's pretty straight forward if you have seen it before.

Bear in mind that this film had no dialogue whatsoever so I had to make it up as I went along. Ah well.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the storyline from Interstella 5555; they are the sole property of Daft Punk, Leiji Matsumoto, etc. I do own the original characters though so :p

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Chapter 1

The sky was a heavy overcast of dark grey clouds that loomed so close one could almost touch them. The black umbrella that was gripped tightly in the woman's hand looked as if it would offer very little protection against the onslaught of rain that was sure to come. The sound of the children's laughter rang out around her as they ran toward the few yellow school buses that lined the front of the small elementary school.

"Goodbye Ms. Sterre!"

"See ya later Ms. Sterre!"

The woman lifted her gaze from the umbrella clutched in her hand to the few of her students that ran past her with bright smiles and frantic waves. Her eyes were a lighter grey than the sky above and they watched the children as they climbed into their respective buses, eager to get home to enjoy the two school free days that every weekend brought about. She raised her hand in goodbye and a faint smile touched her lips as the buses roared to life and began to drive off.

"Are you going to stand there all day Anisse or are you planning on going home?"

The woman named Anisse Sterre turned around to face one of her colleagues, a woman slightly older than her by the name of Nancy Brown. She was a pretty woman with light brown hair and amber eyes whose particular vocation happened to be the gym teacher for the school. Anisse brushed the dark hair from her brow as a gentle laugh escaped. "I was planning on leaving soon but I wanted to watch the children go…"

Nancy raised a slender brow in question as she started to walk toward the small parking lot where her red sports car waited. "Why would you want to do that? It's not like you won't be seeing them again. Monday will be rolling around all too soon…"

Anisse followed the pretty gym teacher, her own grey minivan was parked a few spaces from Nancy's, a rather dismal looking machine when compared to the sleek car that belonged to Nancy. She paused in mid step and raised her silver grey eyes to the clouded sky above. Everything was grey, in her life and her job... where was the color?

"Anisse, can I ask you a question?"

She blinked and looked away from the sky to focus her gaze on Nancy. She was standing beside her car with the door open and a gentle frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. She looked a little confused and Anisse could not understand as to why. If Anisse only knew it was because the pretty gym teacher was thinking that this art teacher had a few screws loose and was wondering why anyone would want to live the way Anisse Sterre did. It was not as if Anisse was a bad person, she wasn't. In fact she was absolutely wonderful with the kids and was a wonderful art teacher. She just wasn't exactly the social butterfly and Nancy, being the people person that she was, could not understand as to why.

"What is it?" asked Anisse. Already she felt a few wet drops land on her thick head of dark hair and her heart grew heavy. The storm was here.

Nancy chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip and tilted her head to the side. "Why do you live all the way out there in those woods, in that cabin, all alone?" She studied the art teacher with faint interest even as the surprise clearly etched itself across Anisse's face. "I mean there are some nice apartments in town and a couple of houses that you could buy. Why do you stay there?"

"Because," She replied as she began to walk to her minivan. "It is quiet." She left it at that as she opened the car door and climbed inside, the rain was already beginning to come down pretty hard. "Enjoy your weekend Nancy." She said before closing the door, the engine of the minivan coming to life with the single turn of her key.

"Y-yeah… you too…" Nancy muttered as she watched the grey minivan reverse out of the parking space and drive away, the red tail lights blazing against the scenery of grey.

--

Why did she live so far from town? Why did she live in a small cabin located in a dense forest that was nestled so neatly along the base of the large hills? Those were good questions and the answer to those questions was simple. It was because it was quiet. Anisse Sterre was an artist and as an artist, her visions came to her through the beauty of the nature that surrounded her home.

The rain fell in heavy sheets against the windshield and even with the high beams on, she could barely see about twenty feet in front of her. It was only early evening and yet it was terribly dark out. Considering that fact that the sun did not set until an hour from now counted little as the storm clouds were so thick. Anisse released a gentle breath as she kept her eyes on the road. In the backseat of her vehicle, she could hear the light clinks and bangs of her art supplies. She had stopped into town to buy some new shades of paint, some brushes, and a couple of new canvases as well as some small groceries that proved for an easy meal. She was aching to paint and yet she had no idea what it was that she was looking to bring forth.

Her hands grew tight on the steering wheel as she drove along the deserted two lane road that lead into the forest outside of town. Her cabin was situated about thirty miles outside of town, completely surrounded by nothing but trees. It was secluded and quiet and an ideal place for her to bring about her ideas to canvas. Yet, even in so peaceful a spot, she knew that she would not be able to paint. She had not been able to even bring a pencil to paper in order draw a decent sketch. It was as if her very talent had suddenly deserted her. She had tried everything she could think of, taking long walks in the evenings and listening to soothing music, anything to try and bring up some form of inspiration. Nothing worked. Her world, it seemed, had fallen into terrible shades of grey and she could not find a way out.

It had been this way for the past month and it was beginning to weigh down on her. She needed a change, just a little change, something that would inspire her to pick up pencil and sketch, to pick up a brush and streak a color across a canvas. She needed something to help bring the color back into her life. Her gaze was barely registering the road ahead of her as she drove, about every mile there would be a single street lamp to light the immediate area before the rain and the dark swept it from view. She was almost home, another few miles; maybe she would put on some tea and read a book. There might be something in a book that would ignite the spark of creativity that she needed.

A streak of lighting pierced the sky above, bathing the road and forest in blinding white. It was in that brief moment of flash that she noticed something dark stagger from out of the forest and into the beams of her headlights. Her scream was loud as she slammed on the brakes and swerved, trying to avoid the thing that had appeared from the darkness. Her minivan missed the figure by a few feet and spun one then twice on the sleek pavement before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road. She was facing the opposite direction from where she had been driving and her headlights were shining on the figure that had staggered out on the road. It looked like a man, he stood there in the middle of the road, staring straight at her before he fell to his knees and collapsed in a heap.

Anisse's heart was racing and her hands were holding onto the steering wheel for dear life. She took in a few deep breaths to calm herself, she was all right and she didn't crash the car thank goodness. She pried her fingers one by one from the death grip she had on the steering wheel. She was trembling terribly from the rush of adrenaline that surged through her veins but it did not hinder her as she got out of the car into the pouring rain. She was soaked within seconds, her dark hair hanging heavily about her face. She ran toward the form that lay deathly still in the middle of the road, the beams from her headlights shining the way.

It was a man, he was wearing a peculiar maroon and purple jumpsuit. His hair was soaked from the storm and from the lighting it was hard to tell the color, though she was guessing black or dark brown. She kneeled down beside him and carefully reached out to touch his shoulder. "Sir, are you all right?"

She jumped back when he groaned and moved his head to look up at her, a deep frown etched across his features. His eyes were a strange color of dark blue, like the evening sky just after the sun had set. However, it was not his eyes that had caught her off guard; it was the mere fact that the man's skin was entirely blue. He stared up at her then began to mutter something under his breath. She could not hear him well but right off she knew it wasn't English. Who or what was this person and what was he doing wandering around the middle of no where? Anisse supposed it didn't matter because at the moment, he looked the worse for wear.

Anisse took in a breath and moved closer to him to rest both of her hands on his back. They were too far from town to make it to the local clinic but it was long closed by now and the nearest hospital was a good two hour drive away. Her home was closer and even though she didn't have any medical knowledge, common sense told her that she had to get him out of the storm. "Sir, just hold on. I'll get you somewhere nice and dry."

She wasn't sure if the man could understand her but he seemed to understand the gesture that she gave. His frowned eased somewhat and he muttered something else that she could not understand. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as the man dropped his head back down against the pavement and closed his eyes.

"Sir? Sir! Please don't die on me!" A part of her was still gawking at the fact the man's skin was blue. She set aside that thought at once though and moved her slender fingers down alongside his neck. This was not the time nor the place to be concerned over the man's skin tone despite the fact it was blue, he could be terribly hurt or worse and it would be her fault because she did not try to help him. She moved her fingers along the base of his jaw line and breathed a sigh in relief; his pulse was strong but just.

Muttering curses beneath her breath, she rolled the man onto his back, a considerable feat since he wasn't very light to begin with and she was not particularly strong even for a woman. The rain seemed to be getting worse and she cursed the fact that she chose to wear sandals. The weatherman had said there would be a chance of rain today, not a full blown storm but of course they were never right about the weather. She moved around the man and hooked her arms under his. She took in a breath, braced herself and lifted.

The man was a complete dead weight; add that plus the fact that the rain made everything heavier and slicker, it took her a good twenty minutes before she had even managed to pull him to her car. It then took another ten minutes of wrestling with the passenger side door and lifting, pulling and pushing before she got the man into her grey minivan and out of the rain. She closed the door and went around the car to get into the driver's side. Once inside, she took in a breath and stared at unconscious man with the blue skin that was now completely soaking up the upholstery of the passenger seat. Silence fell as she studied her unexpected guest with a mingling of surprise and disbelief then turned the car around and drove the last few miles home.


	2. Chapter 2

(a/n) Here is the second chapter! Yay! See first chapter for disclaimer.

And I would like to send this message to Gundamfanatic123! Thank you for taking the time to review my story! I am so happy that I am not the only one who loves Interstella 5555. There are only two other stories here for this awesome movie and it is a shame. There should be more. :(

Now bear in mind, I have no idea what kind of language to make up as alien so I just mixed up the words to make them look alien enough. -shrugs- I'm lazy XD

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About an hour later, through the rain and the muck of her front yard, Anisse had managed to half carry and half pull her unexpected guest up the front steps of her porch. She had fumbled with the keys for a moment as she balanced the man's heavy weight across her small shoulders. Finally, she managed to unlock the door and drag herself and her guest inside her cabin.

It was a large one roomed abode that bore only the bare necessities. There was a tiny kitchenette in one corner with a wooden table and two chairs. A small counter separated the kitchen from the rest of the living area. On the same side of the room, a small couch faced an even smaller TV. On the other side of the room, a single person bed was set against one of the few windows of the cabin, the sheets currently unmade. Blank canvases rested against the foot of the bed where her "studio" took up the remaining side of the room. Her easel was set up against the wall, the canvas that rested on the wooden stand bearing the beginning of a sketch. Various brushes and paints surrounded the easel but they had remained untouched for some time.

Moving carefully to avoid the couch, Anisse struggled with the dead weight on her shoulders. She eyed her bed with slight longing before she heaved a sigh and shifted her load, being careful not to drop him. He slid off of her back and onto the bed, the mattress creaking from the sudden weight. Straightening, she rubbed her aching shoulders then went to gather blank canvases from the foot of the bed. She set them up against the wall beside the easel then went to turn on the floor lamp so that at least some light was available. Thank the stars that the storm hadn't cut the power.

She turned her attention back to the strange man on her bed. He was soaking her sheets with those wet clothes and sleeping in a wet bed was not all that pleasant. Trying her best not to blush, she moved over him, thinking best that she would start with his feet. The large maroon and purple boots that adorned his feet matched with his funny jump suit. There were no laces, no zipper, not even a Velcro latch in which to undo the boots. Chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip, she reached down to pull one of the boots off. It slipped right off of his foot and she stumbled back in surprise, having expected some resistance. She eyed the boot with interest, it felt rather soft to the touch, like silk, but it seemed to resemble a more synthetic material. What was even more amazing was the fact that the boot wasn't soaked at all; there were beads of moisture that rolled off of the surface. So it was water resistant? That was good.

Setting the boot on the floor, she pulled off the other one and placed it with its mate. The faint shock returned from earlier returned full force when two bare and blue feet were hanging over the edge of the bed. Well, at least she didn't have to worry about wet socks… It was just starting to sink in that this person either had a very convincing full body paint or he just was not human. She was hoping for the former.

Curiosity getting the best of her, she reached a finger out and rubbed the sole of his foot. His foot twitched in response and her mouth twitched from the giggle that she was trying to hold back. She glanced down at her finger and saw no residue of blue body paint, which meant of course that the man was not human. Pushing the thought aside, she moved around the bed to try and get the jacket off. She turned him on his side with a grunt and found a latch on the front just below his neck. She pulled on it gently and the jacket came undone, splitting apart like a banana peel.

Anisse jumped back in surprise, afraid that the whole suit would come undone. Thank goodness it stopped at his waist. She reached out to pull his arms free of from the jacket and set it aside with this boots. The jacket was made of the same material as the boots and she was happy to see that it was water resistant as well. At least his clothes would be dry by the time he woke up. She eyed his pants then decided it would be better if she left those alone. He didn't wear a shirt beneath the jacket so she pulled the blanket around and tucked it beneath his still form. His bare chest was as blue as the rest of him, from his head down to his toes was nothing more than blue skin. It was eerie but she wasn't as afraid as she should have been. Maybe it was because of the fact that aside from the blue skin, he looked pretty human. That would most likely change the moment he woke up though.

Heaving a sigh, she left the cabin to retrieve her groceries and new art supplies from the car. It was still pouring rain but seeing as she was already wet, it didn't matter if she got further soaked. She returned a moment later, arms filled with bags and dripping water down on the area rug that rested across the entranceway. She set the art supplies by the easel then went to put the groceries away. As she did this, she pulled out a tea pot and a box of tea bags. Turning on the old gas stove, she filled the pot with water to boil.

Time slipped by while the rain poured outside, Anisse took some extra clothes and went to take a warm shower in the tiny bathroom adjacent to the kitchen. She had almost forgotten about her guest until she emerged from the bathroom, dirty clothes in hand, and spotted him on her bed. He had shifted in position and was lying on his back, the blanket tangled around his legs. Setting the dirty clothes in the hamper, she was distracted by the sound of the whistling tea pot.

She served herself some tea then leaned against the counter with a gentle sigh, her grey eyes watching the blue skinned man. Under the light, his hair was drying off, looking to be more brown than black. His chest rose and fell beneath the blanket as he slept, his face twitching once in awhile. Finishing her tea, she went to the couch and turned on the TV. Music blared from the speakers as a commercial flashed across the screen. "Now available from Rocket Records! The brand new hit from the newest music sensation, the Crescendolls! One More Time!"

Panicking, she thumbed the down button to the volume and glanced quickly at the bed. The man didn't even budge. Sighing in relief, she changed the channel and plopped down on the cushions. It was going to be a long night…

--

Anisse didn't recall falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was watching some behind the music program that had something to do with the disappearances of some famous musicians through out the years. The next thing she knew something was poking her forehead and a deep voice was speaking random gibberish. "Dno't mvoe."

She blinked up in surprise as she found herself staring at the barrel of some kind of gun. She went deathly pale as her eyes traveled up to find herself staring at her strange guest. He was wide awake now and he had the angriest frown she had ever seen on a person. His chest was heaving as he stared at her then looked around the room. "Werhe ma I? Waht si tihs plcae?" His dark blue eyes glanced down at her and his frown deepened. "Waht hvae oyu dnoe wtih ym sihp?"

Anisse held up her hands as she shook her head, her heart pounding against her chest. "I-I'm sorry. I can't understand you. Please, I only tried to help." Her grey eyes glanced at the foot of the bed and she nodded to where his belongings still rested on the floor. "Your things are there, just take what you want. Please don't hurt me…" Her gaze focused back on the weapon as she began to tremble from fear. So much for being a Good Samaritan…

The man blinked and looked over to where she had nodded; his jacket was neatly folded beside the bed with his boots. He was silent for a moment as his frowned eased and he looked at Anisse with a confused expression. "Wree oyu teh oen taht I swa cvoerd ni wihte lhigt? Ni teh rnai?"

To her surprise, he lowered his gun away from her face as the frowned disappeared. A heartbeat passed before he put his gun back in the holster on his hip. He ran a large blue hand through his brown hair, he looked generally confused. "I rmmeeebr onw... I wsa wnaerdnig trhugoh taht froset. Tehn I swa oyu..." He studied her face with such an intense gaze as he took in a breath. "Woh era oyu?"

Anisse stared blankly up at him, not understanding a word he was saying. He had put his weapon away so that must have been a good thing. Slowly she sat up on the couch and got to her feet, keeping him within her sights. "I-I'm sorry… I can't understand you…" She eased around the couch so that it was between them, her hands trembling.

The man stared at her in turn, studying her skin color before he walked toward her and held out his hand. "Gvie em yuor hnad."

She shook her head as she took a step back, the fear quite evident in her large grey eyes. "Please don't hurt me, just take what you want and go."

The man looked confused, not understanding her. He blinked and beckoned to her, his large blue hand open to her. "Gvie em yuor hnad." He said once again as he took a step to her.

"No! Please don't!" She screamed as the fear got the better of her and she turned to run. At that moment, she felt his hand wrap around her small wrist. A shock like an electrical current shut up her arm, through her spine and straight to her brain. She cried out in surprise as stars burst in her eyes and her vision blurred. She had the faintest vision of a star filled sky and a hint of music before the darkness enveloped her completely…


	3. Chapter 3

(a/n) This story follows the movie Interstella 5555 so if you have seen it before you will understand where the plotline is going. If you haven't I suggest going to you tube and looking it up. It is posted there so see the movie first, I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Thanks to Gundamfanatic123 for reviewing! You're the best! :)

Disclaimer: See first chapter. The character Anisse is of my own creation.

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"H…"

Images were dancing through her mind, strange sights of a star filled sky and a myriad of colors surrounding her. Music was playing in the distance, a melody that sounded foreign to her and yet she liked.

"He…"

The colorful forms of people, their bodies shimmering with all the shades of the rainbow, were dancing in the distance as the stars began to swirl around her. A tall figure emerged from the dancing group and moved toward her, a hand held out toward her. She stared at the person as the colors shifted around their form and she reached out to take their hand. Their hand gripped hers and pulled her close, the shifting colors of their body settling on a beautiful shade of blue while their hair settled on a shade of bright gold. She could not see their face and yet there was something about this person that felt… right. They leaned in close, cupping her chin in a strong hand, their lips just inches from hers…

"Hey… Can you hear me?"

The image shattered like a broken mirror, the voice that spoke bringing her out of the depths of the darkness that had claimed her. She groaned as she tried to struggle through the black and the first waking sensation that hit her was pain. Her head felt as if she had been hit with a ton of bricks.

"Are you feeling all right?" The voice spoke again, coming somewhere just above her. She tried to open her eyes but her eyelids refused to obey. A moment passed before she managed to bring a hand up to her head, her skull was pounding. "What… happened? I feel hung over…" Had she been drinking? She couldn't remember if she had even been drinking.

Silence greeted this statement and then a warm hand touched her forehead. "This never happened before…" The voice muttered as the hand swept across her forehead and down to her neck, feeling her pulse. "Can you understand me?"

"Yes…" Anisse replied as she struggled to her open her eyes, her lashes fluttering, but her vision was terribly unfocused. She blinked a few times, trying to get her vision to go straight. It took a moment but her eyes finally focused on the source of the voice and found the man with the blue skin staring down at her with a look of concern. She was lying on her couch and at the sight of the man she struggled to get to her feet, the fear from before coming back full force.

"Wait! Hold on!"

"Stay away from me!" She hissed as she staggered away from the man only to have a sick wave of dizziness wash over her. She gasped at the pain and lost her balance but the man was there to catch her, bracing her with a firm hand. "Easy now… don't push yourself."

She looked up at him as her face paled, her grey eyes studying his face. "I can… understand you. You know my language?" Her voice trembled as her head began to swim.

"Not quite…" He steered her back to the couch and gently sat her down, his dark blue eyes studying her face with as much interest as she had with him when she had first seen him. She glanced up at him with a wary look in her eye; she did not quite trust him after what had happened. Her heart began to pound as she dug her nails into the cushions of the couch. What had happened?

"I don't understand… before I couldn't make out a word you were saying and…" She trailed off, a strange awareness settling down on her. The words that she spoke didn't feel quite right in her mouth. She understood herself well enough and yet her tongue and her lips weren't forming the right syllables. She pushed herself away from him as her fear came back all at once. "What did you do to me?"

She started to gasp, she wasn't getting enough air. The man moved closer to her and grasped her shoulders. "Relax. Take a few deep breaths. Breathe in… that's right." She did as he instructed and the sudden panic attack began to ebb away. Her grey eyes remained fixed on his as he kneeled down in front of her. "I was trying to understand you, understand your language. That was why I wanted your hand, so that I could read you. When you panicked, the telepathic connection backfired and jolted the both of us. You received more out of the connection than I did." He dropped his hands and rubbed his forehead, he had blacked out for only a moment but his head still ached. "I don't know why but somehow you gained a better understanding of my language than I did with yours."

Anisse only stared at him as she took this all in, her blood roared in her ears. "Does that mean I can't speak my language? I can't speak it at all?"

The man blinked in surprise and then shook his head. "No, no… You'll be all right. It's just the after shock of the connection. Give it some time for your mind to adjust; you'll be speaking your own tongue again. The only difference is that you know my language…" He looked terribly tired as he stood up and moved away from her.

She watched him as he moved to her bed and grabbed his clothing. He began to get dressed and slipped on his boots, his brown hair still looked a little damp. She bit her lip thoughtfully, somehow knowing that he spoke the truth. She slowly got to her feet, relief that the dizzy spells had passed, and she moved around the couch. "What about you? Can you speak my language?"

He glanced back at her and blinked once. "Some what… your language is so complex, more so than mine. There are some things I still don't understand. Maybe that's why you took to the connection better than I did." He frowned as he closed his jacket and latched it up, the seams drawing together like a magnet.

Anisse trailed her hand along the back of the couch as she looked at the man with the blue skin, looked at his strange clothing, and a surreal feeling seemed to surround her. "Who are you? Where… did you come from?"

The man turned around to face her as he adjusted his gloves, his dark brows set in a frown. "My name is Shepardeus."

Anisse blinked in surprise and tilted her head. "Shepar…Shepard…" A faint blush rose into her cheeks as she struggled with the pronunciation of his name. It was a bit of a mouth full and she was beginning to settle back into her regular tongue. She tried to concentrate on speaking his language. "Is it all right… if I can call you something a little easier for me to say?"

The man folded his arms and stared at the woman with the strange caramel skin and hair like night. She was so… alien. She spoke his language fairly enough but there was still a trace of an accent curling around her words. Her question was funny, call him something easier? "What do you mean?"

Again, her cheeks grew pink and she clasped her hands in front of her. "An easier name… May I call you Shep instead?" Her grey eyes watched him carefully. "I just don't want to mess up your name."

He dropped his arms as he watched her, call him Shep? What a strange way of thinking… but still, he rather like the sound of it. A small smile formed as he placed a hand on his hip. "Shep huh?" He gave it a moment's thought then gave a nod. "All right."

The smile she gave was rather sweet and she walked toward him with her hand held out to him. "Shep… it's nice to meet you. I'm Anisse."

Shep glanced down at her hand, the confusion evident on his face, then back at her. "Ah Neese?" That was the strangest name he had ever heard. It just felt weird in his mouth, now he understood why. "Ah Nee See…" He struggled to pronounce her name the way she did but the closest he could get to was _Neesy_.

She started to laugh as she took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Neesy it is. It's nice to meet you Shep."

The hand gesture was not something he was used to but he said nothing of it. He returned the funny greeting before she let go and took a step back, her grey eyes curious. "Where did you come from?" She asked her second question once more.

At that question, Shep's face hardened and he shook his head. "I don't have time to be sitting here. I need to get back to my ship, get some supplies… this planet is so big I don't even know where to start…" He trailed off as he walked over to her kitchen and stared at the fridge as if it would come alive at any moment and eat him right then.

Anisse followed him as she listened to him mutter to himself. Well, she had helped him already and it wasn't everyday that one met a real life alien from another planet. She placed a hand on his shoulder. The touch was unexpected and he jumped in surprise, turning around to look at her. "Shep… is there anything I can do to help?"

The more that she spoke his language, her funny accent jumping over certain syllables, the more at ease he was beginning to feel. Even though she looked so different from him, the sincerity in her eyes at that moment was almost enough to curb the panic he was beginning to feel. He could trust her and that was the funniest thought. From the moment he had seen her looking down at him, covered in white light while the rain dripped from her dark hair, he knew she would not harm him. She had taken him in her home and looked over him; if she had wanted to she could have hurt him while he had been unconscious. But she hadn't. That in itself was enough and he turned to face her, his face darkening. "Neesy… I need you to help me. It's such a long story I don't even know where to begin."

Anisse only shook her head in response as she clasped her hands. "Why not the beginning? What had happened? How did you wind up here on…?" She wanted to say Earth but she could not find the proper word in his language. She heaved a sigh. "Why are you here on this planet?"

Shep dragged a hand through his brown hair as he glanced at the small table and went to sit down. "On my planet, I am part of a specialty group that patrols certain sectors of our star system. It's a fairly boring job that offers a lot of free time..." He watched as Anisse sat in the chair across from him and gazed at him, giving him her full attention. He scratched the back of his head as he tried to find the right words. "I'm sorry… I'm not good at telling stories…"

Anisse only smiled and waited for him to continue, her slender hands resting on the wooden surface of the table. He studied her hands, the skin tone so different from his own. He thought a moment then nodded to himself as he pulled off his glove. "I have a better way…" His dark blue eyes studied her grey ones as he reached his hand out to her. "You'll understand easier if I show you…"

She eyed his hand with a wary expression then at him. She could see the trust in his eyes, a trust that had not been there earlier. He trusted her… how odd and yet she understood. It was a trust that went beyond knowing a person; it was just a simple matter of knowing that you were safe. She was surprised to find that because of that trust in his eyes, she knew that she would be all right. Her smile was small as she reached out to take his hand. His fingers wrapped around hers and a bright blue glow erupted. She gasped as her small kitchen faded away completely and her mind was taken to a place that not even her wildest dreams could have made up…


	4. Chapter 4

(a/n) Thanks to Gundamfanatic123 for being such a great reader! You're just awesome! ;) Sorry I didn't post by seven but at least I got the next chapter up anyway.

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Anisse is of my own creation.

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"How far is it?"

"Not too far."

They were pushing their way through a very dense part of the forest, a part of the forest that actually lay on the other side of the large hills beyond Anisse's cabin. It was a several days after the night that Anisse had met her unexpected guest, several days after Shep had explained to her the reason for his being on Earth. Anisse had taken some well deserved personal time off from her job at the school, feigning that a family emergency had come up and she would be gone for an unknown amount of time. After all that she had learned from Shep, she felt that he needed all of the help he could get from a native of the planet.

Apparently, back on his planet, there had been a very popular music band that had been kidnapped by unknown antagonists. It had fallen on him to chase after the ship that had taken them and bring them back. He was their only hope seeing as his sector had been the closest to the kidnapper's ship. He had followed the ship through space, followed them right through a wormhole that led to this star system. The ship that he had been chasing had disappeared somewhere on this planet but unfortunately he couldn't follow them because his ship had sustained damage. He had crash landed here in this forest. After which he had spent some days and nights wandering around in circles, trying to find some semblance of civilization until he was almost run down by Anisse's car.

Shep had told the story through that special ability of his, that mental connection that he could make. Anisse had seen through his eyes, his planet, his civilization and his people. It was all beyond her wildest dreams to know that there were beings in another part of the galaxy, living and dreaming and hoping. She had felt honored that he had trusted her enough to share this with her. She had decided right then to help him in his quest to rescue that band that had been kidnapped. Though how she had no idea where to start. She had a better knowledge of this planet and could help to translate any information that he might need, if he needed it. Shep had no idea who the people were that had taken his favorite band and seeing as there was an entire planet to look through it was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.

"It should be just beyond these trees." Shep said as they slipped their way through some bushes and thickets. Shep led the way as he held a strange triangular device in front of him. The device gave off a pink glow as it blinked with random info while trying to locate his ship. They emerged passed the trees and into a clearing. Anisse took in a breath as she looked at the downed star ship, knowing about it was one thing but actually seeing it with your own eyes made it a different story. She could see that it was a fairly large ship and if one looked at it close enough, it sort of resembled a blue electric guitar.

"Geez… I didn't think it would be this bad…" He said as he stood in front of her and rubbed his forehead, his gloved fingers disappearing in that thick head of brown hair. Anisse looked over his shoulder and studied the machine. It looked all right except that what looked like one of the engines on the right side of the ship was severely damaged. She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip as the worry that she held at bay since they had left her cabin began to rise up.

"Will you be able to fix it?" She asked as she walked around him and headed toward the front of the ship that looked like the cock pit. Shep watched her then turned his dark blue gaze back to his ship.

"If I had the right materials… but I'll worry about that after I find them."

She glanced back at him and nodded in agreement, now was not the time to worry about the ship when his friends were in danger. She followed him as he walked around the edge of the ship and headed toward the back. He stopped at a certain area and pressed his palm against the hull of the ship. A light flashed in response and a section of the hull opened to reveal a hallway. He looked back at her to make sure she was following before disappearing inside.

Anisse hesitated at first then went in after him. Bright white lights lit the floor and ceiling of the hallway. Shep was already halfway down the hall and she rushed to follow him, her sneakers thumping against the metallic flooring. "Wait for me!"

He flashed a smile back at her just as he stopped in front of a door and pressed a button on the wall. "You shouldn't walk so slow Neesy."

"Hmph." She stopped beside him and folded her arms, not saying anything else. The door slid open and he walked inside to another room. She followed behind him and looked around with keen interest. It was a bedroom; there was bed on the other side of the room that faced a large window that gazed to the forest outside. There were various pieces of furniture that dotted the room; ones that she understood housed his belongings. There were also a few consoles that flashed with different colored lights, computers that had access to certain parts of the ship. It was an incredible thought that she was standing in an actual alien star ship. That awe however was hampered down by the sight of the garbage that lined the corners of the room. There were funny shaped bottles and various dishes as well as articles of clothing tossed here and there among the mess. She hoped that there weren't a pair of black briefs that she saw sticking out from one pile.

"It's nice to see that you keep a clean space." She remarked as she wandered further in and glanced with interest at all of the posters that were stuck to the walls. They were various pictures of a group of blue skinned people bearing instruments that were eerily similar to those on Earth. There were three men and a woman posing with their respective instruments in hand. One man with dark curling hair stood behind a keyboard, a shorter man with long brown hair sat behind a set of drums. In the forefront of this band were a man and a woman that looked to be brother and sister. They both had bright golden hair and azure eyes. The woman looked to be holding a bass guitar while the man held an electric guitar. They all wore matching orange outfits with white fabric at the shoulders and collar and white shoes. White head bands with red jewels adorned their heads.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Shep called out to her, a smirk playing on his lips. He was looking through various drawers and compartments, pulling out items and tools that he felt were necessary. He pulled out an perculiar item that looked like a white bracelet that had a blue stone in its center and several buttons on either side of it. He glanced at it with a thoughtful look then placed it with the rest of his supplies. He was equipping some of them as he turned around to find Anisse staring at a poster of the band, her grey eyes gazing at the man that played the guitar. She had a strange look on her face and she reached a hand out to touch the poster. There was something about this man that felt vaguely familiar though she had no idea as to why. For the past few nights she had been having the strangest dreams. They all pertained to that first vision she had had after Shep had touched her. The dancing people in the sea of stars, their forms that shifted with all the colors of the rainbow and that one person who would always emerge from the group, a hand held out to her. This man reminded her of that dream…

"That's Arpegius."

Anisee jumped at the sound of Shep's voice and glanced at him. "What?"

He walked over to her and pointed at the golden haired guitar player on the poster. "The one you were looking at, his name's Arpegius, he plays guitar." He pointed to the man behind the keyboard. "That's Octave, he plays the keyboard and does vocals for their songs." His finger moved to the short man with the long brown hair behind the drums. "That's Baryl; he plays a mean set of drums." His finger then trailed over to the woman with the gold hair and his eyes took on a wistful quality. "And this… this is Stella. She plays bass…"

"I take it you're a big fan…" Anisse smiled, having just noticed the large poster of the female band member on the ceiling above his bed. She was in a rather graceful pose, the background a large field of pink and red flowers. Shep blinked at her and looked up at the ceiling. The deep blush that rose into his cheeks in response made her laugh. He threw her a look but said nothing as he moved to pick up what looked like an album from beside his bed.

Anisse noticed how quiet he had gone and she eyed the album he held before looking at him. "Shep, we'll find them." She reached out to place a hand on his shoulder and he looked down at her in surprise. She offered him an encouraging smile. "We'll find them, I just know it."

He blinked and then smiled in return, the fact that she had said "we" and not "you" made him feel somewhat better. He wasn't alone in this and he was glad of that simple fact. Gazing down at the woman named Stella on the album, he turned the cover over then held it out to her. "Here Neesy. Hold on to this for me."

Anisse blinked in surprise as she reached out to take the album from him. "Why?"

Shep took in a breath as he stared at the ceiling, the poster of Stella staring back at him. "I just… have the deepest feeling we're going to need it." He gazed at her and smirked. "Besides, from the way you were looking at Arpegius, I thought you might like to have a picture of him so you can stare at him whenever you want."

The deep blush on her cheeks didn't hide the sudden anger that rose up. He laughed just as she grabbed one of the pillows off of his bed and placed a well aimed throw his way. Of course he was terribly agile and he ducked out of the way. "Is that all you got?"

"Shep, that's not funny!" She hissed, terribly embarrassed at the fact that he had caught her staring at an otherworldly man like some besotted school girl.

"Oh don't feel so bad. A lot of women back home feel the same way you do." He laughed again as he dodged another thrown pillow then turned and darted out of the room. Over the past several days, after the mental connections they had shared, they had grown to be quite comfortable around each other. It was strange how when he looked at her now, he didn't see an alien with caramel skin and dark hair just as she didn't see him as just an alien with blue skin and funny clothes. They each saw a friend.

"C'mon Neesy, you can throw a lot better than that!" Shep called behind him as he ran down the hallway of his crashed starship, Anisse chasing right behind him.

"If you will stop running I'll show you just how well I can throw!" She said in turn as she ran to keep up with him, their footsteps echoing off into the distance...


	5. Chapter 5

(a/n) To Gundamfanatic123: Sorry for the late update, I had a lot of errands to do today and didn't get to sit down and write till after nine pm. Please don't kill me. XD

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Anisse is of my own creation.

* * *

"Here Shep, put this on."

Shep eyed the long brown cloak that was splattered with paint of every color imaginable, a dark brow raised on his blue face. They were standing outside of her cabin, the sunlight filtering through the canopy of the forest. Anisse was holding out the cloak to him, waiting for him to take it. "Well?" She smiled as she waved it in front of him.

"Why do I need to wear that?"

She blinked in response as her hand dropped a fraction. They stared at one another for a moment before took in a breath and held it out to him once more. "You wouldn't exactly blend in with the rest of the population with how you look. We can't have people freaking out over the sight of you; it will just bring unneeded attention."

He glanced at the cloak again, noting how ragged it looked and how the hem was torn in some places. She blushed deeply and threw the cloak at him "It's the best I can do right now. I don't have men's clothing lying around and you wouldn't look very good in mine."

Shep caught it and eyed it warily before grunting and throwing it around his shoulders. She did have a valid point but still he felt so silly wearing this darn thing. She blushed again and glanced back at her cabin. They were leaving today in search of his friends, leaving to where she did not have a clue. It was better than staying here and doing nothing though. She slipped her thumbs in the pockets of her blue jeans while her heart began to pound under her white blouse. A breeze had picked up then and ruffled the dark hair that she wore in a ponytail at the base of her neck. She had a funny feeling that it was going to be the last time she ever saw this place.

"Neesy, are you ready?"

She looked at her friend with a smile and nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

--

The grey minivan was cruising down the main street of the town. Anisse was driving with her small hands gripped tightly on the steering wheel. Shep was beside her in the passenger seat with the hood of his cloak drawn low over his face. He was gazing out the window with interest at all of the buildings and business that lined the street, a few people milling about with their young children close at hand. Everyone looked so at ease going about their day to day lives. It was funny how Anisse had never felt a part of that.

Shep passed a glance her way then looked in the backseat where she had his tools and equipment. Beside that were a few of her belongings, among them a large sketch pad and some colored pencils. He studied the items and then studied her; he knew that she was what her people called an artist. He had seen some of her paintings and drawings and he liked them a lot. Her talents leaned more toward the more natural aspects of her planet, beautiful scenery that depicted sunsets and waterfalls, fields of flowers and the forest that surrounded her cabin. She had such an incredible gift to bring a blank piece of canvas to brilliant life. She had told him though that lately she had not been able to do a sketch let alone a painting. That was before the night she had met him. Last night, he had watched her as she sat on her bed, the sketch pad in hand and she was sketching something. He had asked her what she was drawing to which her reply was a blush and a mumble. She had shown him though and was amazed to see his own face staring back at him from the white page. "I hope you don't mind… You have a very kind face and I just had to sketch you." She had said this with a smile and she could see from the smile that he gave her that he didn't mind at all…

"I need to get fuel for the car." Anisse said, snapping him out of his reverie. They were pulling into a gas station and stopping beside one of the pumps. "Just stay here I'll be back in a minute." She unhooked her seat belt as she flashed a smile his way before grabbing her purse and getting out of the car. Shep watched as she walked into the service station then sighed and turned his attention to many knobs and dials that were situated under the dashboard of her car.

Inside the service station, Anisse was standing in line behind a trucker who was taking his time in trying to decide on what kind of cigars he wanted. Sighing inwardly, she eyed the concession stand with little interest then looked over at the magazine rack. There were so many magazines ranging from fashion to cooking, home improvement and video games. Her grey eyes scanned over each title, the words hardly registering until they landed on a magazine simply called Music Today. On the cover was a music band that consisted of three men and a woman. She wouldn't have thought much of it but there was something vaguely familiar about the way the band was posed with their particular instruments. A frown etched across her face as she went to pick the magazine up and stared at the cover. The subtitle on the cover identified the group as the newest musical sensation to hit the airwaves called The Crescendolls. Her eyes studied each band member as her frowned deepened; there was something about their faces that were familiar…

"Miss, can I help you?" The clerk behind the counter called to her as the trucker shuffled his way toward the door.

Holding the magazine in one hand, she walked as if in a daze to the clerk and placed it on the counter. "I'll buy this and if you could please put twenty dollars on pump number two."

The man took her money and rang it in the cash register while he glanced at the magazine she had chosen. All of a sudden his face lit up as he handed back her change. "Hey, so you like The Crescendolls? Man they are so awesome!"

"Really? I haven't heard of them." She remarked as she placed her money back in her purse.

The clerk looked at her as if she had just crawled out from under a rock. "Are you kidding me? Their song is climbing the charts all over the world! They are the hottest thing going on right now." He gave her a funny look before reaching under the counter and pulling out a portable CD player. He took the CD out and handed it to her. "Here, take it. You HAVE to listen to them, they are the best."

Anisse blinked. "But… isn't that yours?"

The clerk waved her off as he placed the CD in her magazine and thrust it at her. "I have another copy at home. You need to listen to this a lot more than I do. Trust me on this, you'll love it."

"Oh… thank you so much." She took the magazine, smiled faintly at the clerk in goodbye and went back to the car. She filled the tank then got into the car. Apparently Shep had figured out how to use the radio, music was blaring out from the speakers in the doors. He looked at her in question but said nothing. She started the car up and pulled out of the gas station. They drove a couple of miles out of town while the radio pumped out some techno music. That was when she remembered the CD and took it out from the magazine on her lap. She handed it to Shep while she kept her eyes on the road. "Here, put this in the slot there."

"What is it?" He asked as he took the CD and placed it in the CD player. He pressed the play button while Anisse made a right onto the on ramp of the highway. "It's some CD the guy at the gas station gave to me. I figured we could listen to it since we have a bit of a drive ahead of us."

There was a brief moment of silence and then the music started to play and a man's voice started to sing. "One more time!"

"Stop!!" Shep yelled, scaring the daylights out of Anisse, who slammed hard on the brakes. The tires of the minivan screeched as they skid for ten feet, the cars in the other lanes around them honking their horns and their drivers cursing as they drove around the stopped car. She moved to the breakdown lane and slapped on the emergency lights.

"What?! What is it?!" She gasped, a hand placed over her chest as she tried to calm her frayed nerves. "What's wrong?!"

Shep was eyeing the radio as if it were haunted; his face had gone a pale shade of blue. "That's their music! That's one of their songs… the language is all wrong but I know their music from anywhere."

"What? Are you sure?" She eyed her friend with faint surprise then recalled the magazine she had bought. She had wondered why that band had seemed so familiar. She picked it up and glanced at the cover. The band consisted of very human people, not the blue skinned band that had decorated the walls of Shep's bedroom but still… "Shep, look at this."

"What?" He glanced down at the magazine she held out to him and took it. "It can't be…" He gripped the magazine with both hands and stared at it with wide dark blue eyes. "It can't be them, can it? They look…" He didn't say it but Anisse caught the gist of it. She didn't blame him, she was sure she would have felt the same way. He took in a shuddering breath and handed the magazine back to her. She took it and flipped through the pages until she reached the article about the band. Her grey eyes scanned down over the page; it was a detailed biography on each of the band members. It was what she suspected; whoever had taken them had changed their appearances but not their names. They doubted that anyone on this planet would have known them. That was their first mistake apparently, the people that had kidnapped his friends didn't know about Shep, which meant they were at an advantage. She continued reading through until she found the info she was looking for. The record company that had signed them was the biggest in the business, Rocket Records. The worldwide headquarters of the company was located in Center City and that city was a good ten hour drive from their current location.

Throwing the magazine in the backseat, she pulled the minivan out of the breakdown lane and drove. Shep looked at her then at the road. "Where are we going?"

She was frowning as she kept her hands firmly on the steering wheel. A sign above the highway pointed the direction to Center City. "We're going to rescue your friends. That's why we're making this trip. We have a long drive ahead of us so you should get more comfortable."

Shep could see the determination in her grey eyes, the muscle that twitched in her jaw signifying the anger she always managed to keep under control. She knew where they were; whatever she had read in that magazine had clued her in to where his favorite band might be. Hope welled in him as he began to relax and he gazed out the window to the passing scenery. He was going to find them, he had to find them and once again since crash landing down on this planet, he was grateful that he wasn't doing it alone.


	6. Chapter 6

(a/n) Tada! Chapter six! I promise that the action will start to pick up in the next couple of chapters so bear with me. :)

Thanks to Gundamfanatic123 for supporting this fic! You're the reason this story is going on strong!

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Anisse is of my own creation.

* * *

"We don't know who the people are that kidnapped your band and we don't know the reasons as to why."

Anisse and Shep were sitting in her minivan in the warehouse district of Center City. It was an abandoned area that housed only rodents, empty crates and the homeless. It wasn't exactly what Anisse had in mind for a hideout but the less of a chance they had of being seen by the general public the better their chances were to finding his friends. Anisse had bought a map of the city, every magazine article that pertained to The Crescendolls imaginable, as well as a play by play of the band's scheduled tour of the city for the next week. A huge concert was being planned at the climax of their tour of the city, which were in hopes of gaining favor for nominations at the famous Golden Record Awards that were taking place the following week.

"Do you see it? Look at their faces in all of their pictures, their videos, everything about them…" She sat back against the seat as she rubbed her forehead for the second time. "They look emotionless. They don't smile, they don't blink, and they do nothing but what they are told… like puppets…." She had said that last phrase in her language because she couldn't find the right word in Shep's language. He glanced down at the mess of magazines strewn about the car, all of them open to different pictures of the band. He understood her well enough thanks to the knowledge he had gained through their mental connections.

Shep grabbed a magazine and trailed a gloved finger over the picture of a very human Stella. Her face looked devoid anything emotional as she posed for the picture, those purple glasses hiding the azure eyes he had always loved. His fingers trembled a little and he clenched his fist in suppressed anger. "Mind control…" He muttered as he cast the magazine aside.

Anisse blinked in question then looked down at the magazine she was holding. "You know that just may be… We won't know for sure until we see them for ourselves." Her grey eyes studied each of the pictures, noting a key similarity in most of them. She poked the magazine she held as she pointed to a picture of the band standing with an elderly man with a protruding belly and a head full of long grey hair. He had a self satisfied smirk on his face in each and every one of the pictures. She didn't like him one bit. "This man is posing himself off as their manager. He would be the one pulling the strings…"

Shep said nothing to his friend, he only watched as a rat began to pick its way carefully around the outside of the car. He was vaguely listening to her as she went on about the true culprits behind the kidnapping not being human. She tossed the magazine with the others and turned the car on, the roar of the engine startling the rat into running frantically behind a cardboard box. "No one on this planet, not even the most intelligent human, had ever discovered the means to adapting a wormhole for space travel. Take that and the fact that the furthest any human has ever gone was to the moon. The very idea that someone on this planet even has the means to do such things just states that they have help from some outside source." She drove the car between some warehouses and into the one they had decided to call headquarters. She parked the car and left the engine running. "The only reason is why?"

Shep through the hood of his cloak off and shook his head. "I don't know and I don't care. My only reason for being here is to find them and bring them back." He cast his dark blue eyes her way as he frowned. "Neesy, we have to think of some way to get close to them."

Anisse gave a nod, frustration welling in her; they had to think of some way. Shep couldn't get close to them because he would stand out too much thanks to his blue skin but she could. She glanced at her watch then picked up the schedule for the The Cresendolls tour. They were having a signing scheduled for early this afternoon, if she made it early she just might be able to get close enough…

"Shep, will you wait here for me?" The blank look on his face made her point to the schedule she held in one hand. "They are going to be at this location, signing all sorts of things, if I get there early enough I might be able to get close. Then I can get a better look at what it is that is making them..." She trailed off as Shep gave a nod in understanding then reached into the backseat for some of his belongings.

"I know I can't come with you but that doesn't mean you have to go alone." He pulled out a small piece of metal that had a tiny blue stone in its side. "Put this in your ear." He said as he held it out to her. She took it without a second thought, thinking it to be some kind of earpiece to talk with him. Her gasp of surprise escaped when the earpiece expanded to fit snug inside of her ear and a crystalline visor materialized over her eyes. They looked like blue shades but the data that scrolled across her line of vision told other wise.

"This is a more portable computer that has a direct connection to my computer." He pulled out the small triangular device that he had used to find his ship, it was now glowing a gentle white. "Anything you see and hear will appear on my comp, anything that you scan the info will be downloaded as well." He pulled out a peculiar metallic, white bracelet that had a blue stone in its center and several buttons on either side of it. He took her wrist and snapped it on without a word. The buttons lit up at once and the blue stone flashed while the bracelet itself adjusted its size to fit on Anisse's wrist. She looked up at Shep in question and he pointed to his temple. "It's connected to your comp. Anything you might need it can supply for you, all you have to do is think on it. The things that it creates only last so long though so you use it wisely."

The strange language that the data flowed in across the shades was in his language and though she could speak it, she could not read it. "Shep, I don't think…" Her voice trailed off when the small comp in her ear emitted a beep, a brief pause, and then the data on the shades blinked once and reappeared in her language. She looked at him in surprise and he smiled at her. "It adjusts itself to the wearer, their language and their needs. It's a very personalized machine."

Anisse felt herself grow a little faint at the thought of this alien technology now in her possession. She glanced at the bracelet and swallowed the sudden tightness that had grown in her throat. "What about this one? All I have to do is think of something that I need and it generates the item?"

Shep climbed out of the car and went into the back to grab the rest of his equipment from the backseat. He pulled everything out and went back to the passenger side door he had left open. He leaned down and smiled at her. "You're an artist, use your imagination." He then leaned forward and grabbed her free hand in a strong handshake. "Thank you for helping me." The smile that lit his blue face, the brown hair falling over his brow and the deep blue eyes that gazed at her with such trust and friendship made her heart feel close to bursting. She returned his smile and pulled him a very awkward hug.

Shep gaped in surprise as a deep blush rose into his cheeks. Anisse finally let him go, tears shining in her grey eyes. They stared at one another before Shep left the car and closed the door. She waved to him as the smile fell from her face and she reversed out of the warehouse. The reality of the situation made her heart pound a mile a minute. Here was the first mission into getting Shep's friends back; she only hoped that going to this signing wouldn't be for nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

(a/n) Chapter seven is here! More yays!

Thanks Gundamfanatic123! Your reviews are what make this story worth all the more! :)

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Anisse is of my own creation.

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The lines for The Crescendolls signing were huge, in fact they were beyond huge; they were enormous. Hundreds of people were grouped outside of the large music store that was located in downtown Center City. They spilled out onto the sidewalks and the streets, lined around the corner of the building and continued on for about two or three blocks. Anisse had arrived earlier that morning to park her grey minivan some twenty blocks down from the music store then hiked the rest of the way to try and get in line. She had been in line for over four hours now and she had just barely set foot in the store.

She adjusted the little computer that was snug in her ear, the blue shades springing to life as data began to roll past her eyes. She pulled down on the long left sleeve of the red suede jacket she wore, the strange computer bracelet that went with the shades hidden from view. Her long dark hair was set in a braid that fell over one shoulder and she reached up to tuck a loose lock behind her ear. "All right I'm in."

"Good. Can you see them from where you're standing?" Shep's deep voice spoke into her ear, sending a surprised shiver down her spine. He really did have a nice voice. She tried not to laugh as she held a copy of Music Today, with the band on the cover, over her face. She took in a breath until the urge to giggle subsided and she stood up on tiptoe to try and get a look at the booth that was ahead some ten feet. Unfortunately, it was completely over run by adoring fans and she could not see them too well. She settled back down on the heels of her black boots and huffed. "No, there are too many people."

There was a pause on his end then, "All right, now I can see… Yeah, it's not too good of a view. Can you get closer Neesy?"

She clucked her tongue and shook her head. "And start a riot? No thanks. I'm surprised all of these people are being so patient about getting their autographs." She tucked the magazine under one arm and pulled on her right sleeve then, her fingers brushed over the silver charm bracelet that adorned her right wrist. She started to absently finger each of the charms as she kept her grey eyes on the booth ahead.

The line was starting to move an inch… First charm was a microphone; it was to commemorate her mother's success as a singer. Oh good, now the line moved a foot. Second charm was a guitar, mom loved her guitar so much and dad would listen as she played while he sketched her. They were so happy together… Now the line was moving another foot, goody. Third charm was a paint brush, dad was an artist and his favorite subjects were his wife and daughter. He had given the charm to mom for her birthday; she remembered how mom had cried. The line was now moving a whole two feet. She fingered the last charm and the dull ache that was a constant in her heart flared up only slightly. Last charm was a heart, to signify love. The love of a soul mate, of family, of friends…

The line moved another foot and the crowd shifted a bit so that Anisse had a perfect vantage point of the booth from where she stood. Shep's voice shouted in her ear and she jumped just a little. "There! I can see them. Hold on while I… Got it!" The entire time that he had been speaking, a little target was bouncing around in front of her eyes and focusing on each band member. "I got hold of a signal from each of them, its originating from those glasses they are wearing." The target moved over to one of the band members, the drummer named Baryl and zoomed in on his emotionless face. It zoomed even closer to just above his ear and a little red light was blinking faintly beneath the long brown hair. "If I can just work out the frequency of that signal… I can reroute it so that way I can develop an opposing signal…" He trailed off as his brain began to work overtime, the target remained focused on the drummer that was signing everything shoved under his nose. Anisse let go of the last charm of her bracelet and studied each of the band members as the line began to move again.

The drummer was sitting on the farthest right corner of the table, next to him was the bass guitarist Stella, beside her was the guitarist Arpegius, and beside him on the far left was keyboardist/vocalist Octave. Anisse watched all of them and a stab of sympathy struck her, she knew who they really were and where they came from and to see them like this just wasn't right. Between Arpegius and Stella, watching with the self satisfied smirk she had seen in almost every picture of him, their manager stood. He would watch everything that the band members were doing; occasionally he would lean down to mutter something in one of their ears. When this happened, they would shake someone's hand, force a smile that did not reach their eyes, or anything else that needed to be directed from the manager. She clenched her fist as an unexplained hatred began to build but she kept it under control.

"The signals are different with each of their devices. I need some time to get a scan on all of them." Shep had spoken while he worked through her computer; the target had bounced from Baryl to Stella beside him. There was an odd choking sound at the sight of Stella but Shep had said nothing else as the target focused on the little red light attached to her eyewear. The line was beginning to move a little more and she moved with them. Her grey eyes were drawn to the sight of two very mean looking security guards that manned both sides of the table. They were looking back and forth among the crowd in an almost mechanical fashion. Something didn't settle right about those two…

The line moved again and she was shifting toward the left side of the table. Her eyes were now on Stella, who the target was still fixed on. She was getting closer to the table and Shep had not finished. "Um…" She began to speak but then the target blinked and focused on Arpegius, who was straight ahead of her. She blinked in surprise, when did she wind up in his line?

"Just a little more…" Shep muttered in her ear as the target scanned, focusing on another small red light located around his ear. The lights were hidden beneath their hair so it wouldn't have been noticed if you didn't know where to look. The line shifted again and she was behind four people in line. A little boy was bouncing up and down in front of her with a copy of The Crescendolls CD grasped tightly in his small hands. He was dressed exactly like Arpegius with the black pants, the red t-shirt with the torn sleeves, the red sneakers and large blue shades covering half of his face. He even had dark brown hair like Arpegius and looked like a mini version of the guitarist. Anisse smiled at the excitement the little boy could barely contain as the line moved again.

The target was still scanning Arpegius and she was third in line. Her heart began to pound at the sight of the manager watching the crowd with that smirk, the two large guards with the dark shades scanning the crowd left and right… She hoped they couldn't pick up the signal coming from her computer. Considering the fact they most likely had their alien technology somewhere, she was beginning to panic. "Shep, could we hurry up?" She whispered as the line shifted and the little boy thrust his CD out in front of the guitarist.

"Sorry Neesy… this one is a little more difficult to decode…just sit tight, I'm almost done."

Arpegius's eyes barely registered the little boy as his hand automatically moved across the CD case, a surprisingly neat signature reading The Crescendolls. The little boy cried out in pure delight as he thanked Arpegius over and over. He grabbed his CD and shuffled off with the rest of the crowd toward the exit. Anisse's heart slammed against her chest as the target finally focused on Octave. She swallowed as she pulled the magazine from under her arm and placed it down the table where she stood in front of Arpegius. She was barely paying attention to the guitarist as her grey eyes were focused on the target scanning the red light under Octave's curly, dark hair.

"Shep hurry…" She whispered fiercely while she leaned on the table, her gaze on the keyboardist. She did not notice the slight pause of the guitarist in front of her. His gaze had shifted from the magazine he had been signing to the slender hand that was a half inch from his left one. A glint of a silver charm had caught his eye beneath the cuff of the red sleeve, the silver guitar glittering against the sharp fluorescent lighting above. Moving slowly, his broad fingers trailed that last half inch to curl over and under the charm and the chain, his fingertips brushing against the warm skin of the bracelet's owner.

A soft gasp escaped from the feel of callused fingers touching her wrist and she tore her gaze from Octave back to the guitarist. His fingers were curled around her bracelet and resting against her wrist. It was at that moment that several things happened all at once. The target that was still scanning Octave's glasses finally blinked once and Shep's voice exclaimed. "Got it! All right, I have their signals. You can get out of there now!"

Before Anisse could respond, a group of teenage girls further behind in the line caught sight of Arpegius and Octave and screamed bloody murder. "There they are!!" The group of girls then decided it would be a good idea to push the people in front of them in their haste to get to their idols. While the teenagers pushed it started a rippling domino effect that thrust everyone else forward in their excitement and Anisse, plus the other unfortunate souls around at the table, were squished right up against the table. Anisse had lost her balance from the sudden onslaught and she landed right on top of the table in front of the guitarist.

Arpegius still had his fingers curled around her bracelet and they tightened around it as his gaze shifted to hers. She found herself blushing deeply as the gaze focused ever so slightly on her face then her eyes. It felt as if time had slowed to a grinding halt before she was suddenly yanked back from the table. The police had arrived to subdue the rising crowd as they tried to get to the table all at once. Anisse was barely aware of a snapping sound as she was propelled with the rest of the crowd from the music store and back out onto the street.

"Neesy are you all right?" Shep's voice brought a much needed calm to her nerves as she rubbed her right hand. Tears were beginning to well in her eyes as she stared at her now bare wrist, devoid of her mother's charm bracelet. Somewhere along the chaos she had lost her mother's bracelet. She couldn't go back into the store to look for it because the cops were shuffling everyone out. She took in a shaky breath as she turned and began to walk back the twenty blocks to her car.

"Neesy?" Shep spoke to her again; there was concern in his voice. She pushed the blue stone of the little computer in her ear and the blue shades faded from view. She brushed the tears from her eyes as she forced a smile into her voice. "I'm fine Shep. We got what we came for. I'm heading back now." She sighed heavily and started to jog the rest of the way to her car, being sure to avoid the crowds that were now screaming in protest to the signing being over.

--

They were taking the back exit of the store where the limo waited for them. They followed the manager the entire way through the building while his two bodyguards brought up the rear. Arpegius was a step behind his sister, the glazed look in his eyes focusing slightly as his fingers gripped the silver charm bracelet in his left hand. The silver was still warm from the touch of the woman that it had adorned. He tried to focus on that warmth as his fingers pulled the chain into his balled fist, hiding it from view. The little charms settled against the inside of his fist as they walked, the little guitar rubbing against his forefinger. Blue shades… she had blue shades like his…

He followed the rest of his band members into the limo while one of the guards closed the door. Blue shades and grey eyes…


	8. Chapter 8

(A/n) -squeaks- sorry for missing a day of an update, I got caught on youtube and before I knew it, it was too late to work on the story. This chapter is more of a filler; next chapter is when the action truly starts.

Thanks again Gundamfanatic123! I'm trying to update this story daily so hope that is soon enough! :)

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Anisse is of my own creation.

* * *

They were all so tired…

The manager kept them working day in and day out with no rest to catch one's bearings. The guards were around them 24/7 which meant that if any one of them slacked off, they were abruptly placed back to work to signing CDs, posters, books, and any other merchandise that was piled on top of them.

Arpegius felt so weak while his gaze struggled to focus on the piles of albums that he was to sign. He had to sign them, no matter what, he had to sign them… but he was so tired. His hand tried to hold onto the sturdy frame of the piano but he grasped one of the piles of records instead. He stumbled back, the records sliding off of the piano and plummeting to the floor. He took in a breath as his body trembled from lack of rest, he was so tired…

His hand moved into his left pocket and grasped the silver charm bracelet tightly, the individual charms biting into his flesh. He felt for the little guitar and his gaze focused slightly, blue shades and grey eyes… He turned wearily on his feet and stumbled toward the double doors that led out of the penthouse. The woman with the blue shades and grey eyes… her bracelet… who was she?

Arpegius had been seeing her everywhere that they went, she was always in the crowd with those blue shades, watching the band yet never cheering like the rest of the people. She was always there watching and she would stand out like a bright star among the grey that he always saw. His foggy awareness would sharpen slightly the moment he saw her familiar face in the crowd. She had such a sad look on her face when the band passed to whatever event they were scheduled to do that day. He would feel for the bracelet he always kept in his left pocket and through the haze that was always constant, he would remember her.

Arpegius made his way toward the double doors only for one of the guards step in his way, reaching a terribly strong hand toward his shoulder to block his path. He barely could lift his head to look at the guard, who just stood there without saying a word with his hand still on Arpegius' shoulder. A moment passed before the doors opened and the manager stood before the exhausted guitarist, that self satisfied smirk ever present on his terrible face. The manager released a gentle laugh as he took a step into the room. "My, my… a little bold aren't we? Go and sign those records."

Arpegius stared at the manager for a heartbeat before he felt his feet turning of their own accord and he was stumbling his way back to the piano. He had to sign those records… had to… but he was so tired. He barely passed a glance at his band members; Octave was passed out on the couch with posters all around him, Baryl was struggling to stay awake as he tried to sign some magazines. His sister, Stella, was standing by one of the large windows with her hand against the glass, watching the rain as it fell. He fell against the piano and tried to have a fleeting moment of rest. His hand found its way into his left pocket again and clenched tightly on the silver bracelet. He had to remember, blue shades and grey eyes… he had to sign the records… blue shades… so tired…

His fingers found the little guitar and he rubbed it, the metal biting into his flesh. She had such grey eyes, almost like the silver of her bracelet. He remembered how warm her skin had been when he had touched her for that brief moment… how pink her cheeks were when she had fallen on the table and stared up at him with those grey eyes behind the blue shades… who was she? He stared at the records and released the bracelet, defeat etched in his posture. He had to sign them…

--

The days had passed since the signing at the music store. Shep was busy working night and day on a device that he would use to counteract the signals of the mind control devices that were on the band members' glasses. While Shep had remained in the warehouse, Anisse had been tailing the band to all of their concerts, signings, photo shoots, etc. to gather more data for Shep. The band looked terribly exhausted whenever she would see them and her sympathy for them would grow even more.

There had been a few times when she thought that the guitarist would notice her in the crowd. He would be looking in her direction, the dead look in his eyes shifting to her and focusing ever so slightly. It made her wonder if he was more aware than what their manager had originally thought. At one or two of their concerts, she had managed to get a front row seat and she would watch the band, watched how their bodies trembled and the exhausted looks on their faces gave away plainly to how ragged they were being worn. Arpegius would be playing his guitar, playing as wonderfully as always and yet his unfocused eyes were searching the crowd, searching until they had found her there. His gaze would sharpen then and he would keep her in her sights even as he played…

"I'm going out."

Shep's deep voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up from her sketch pad that lay open in her lap. "What?"

Shep was standing a few feet from her seat beside the little living area they had made in between some large crates. There were a couple of sleeping bags that she had managed to buy from a sport goods store; between those bags was his little triangular computer. It was giving off a bright white light and she was using it to draw. Shep's deep blue eyes traveled down to her sketch pad and then back to her. He was covered in the paint splattered cloak she had given him and his face was hidden beneath the hood.

"I'm going out…" His tone was hard to determine and yet Anisse had the feeling that he was angry. She set her sketch pad aside and got to her feet. She moved over to him and pulled the cloak tighter around his neck. It had been raining all day and though it was night out, it did not mean people weren't wandering around in the streets. She couldn't tell him to stay after all, it was not her place and he had been cooped up in the warehouse all week.

"Be careful… stick to the shadows so no one sees you." She looked up at him and brushed the brown hair from his eyes. A deep blush rose into Shep's blue cheeks at the simple gesture, he had always looked out for himself and it was comforting to know that she worried about him.

Smiling, he took her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "I'll be all right Neesy. I just… need to see for myself…"

She didn't ask what it was that he wanted to see, she already knew. She gave a nod as she turned back to her sleeping bag and picked up her sketch pad. "You won't like what you see… They're different now then from how you knew them."

He didn't reply but he took a few steps toward her and glanced down at the face that adorned the clean white page of her sketch pad. Arpegius' face was coming to life from her hand, not the human Arpegius, but the blue skinned, golden haired guitarist from the album that he had given her. A knowing smile curled on his lips and Anisse caught the look. She blushed deeply as she hugged the pad against her chest and looked down. "He has a great face… his true self… I needed to draw it…"

"No need to explain…I'll be back later…" Shep replied as lifted a hand in farewell and turned on his heel. He ran out of the warehouse and into the pouring rain that fell down on the dark and dirty streets of Center City.


	9. Chapter 9

(A/n) I love writing long chapters some times. Here is chapter 9!

To Sarah: Thank you for always reviewing! I hope you like this one! :)

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Anisse is of my own creation.

* * *

When Shep had returned from his outing, the determined look on his face and the anger in his deep blue eyes were all that Anisse needed to see. It was time…

They spent the remainder of the evening into the wee hours of the morning pouring over maps of the city and the stadium, working out the final details of the plan to rescue the band. At sundown the next evening, the biggest concert in the history of Center City was to take place at Center Stadium, which was located about twenty miles outside city limits. The concert was to be The Crescendolls finale on their tour and because of that simple fact the concert was going to be overflowing with people. There were going to be too many people there, which meant for an easy enough get away if all went well. Shep had decided that instead of sneaking in and risk getting caught before even getting to the band, he would crash it in a way that would be enough of a surprise to buy them time to escape.

He held up the strange yellow machine that kind of resembled a model plane. Of course, Anisse knew that it was anything but a model, for one it had support belts and two, she could see the exhaust from the little engines on the side of the wings. She stared at the machine, now knowing what the bulky pack in the back of her grey minivan had been, then at her friend. "You're flying in that?"

He smiled in response then set the yellow glider down on the floor. He held up what look like a utility belt and motioned to the controls of the two holsters that were actually little engines as well. "Once I gain enough of an altitude, I'll drop in from the sky and have access to the stadium from there. They will have most of the entrances and exits covered but they won't be expecting anyone falling from the sky."

"Will it be safe?" She wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to suppress a shiver; she just had the strangest feeling something bad was going to come out of this.

"It's safe, I could pilot these things with my eyes closed." He tied the belt around his narrow waist. "Once their mind control devices are shut down, we're going to need to make a quick exit. I don't know how much time we would have but we need to make every second count."

"Don't worry. I'll secure the exit closest to the stage." They had already gone over the map of the stadium that she had gotten earlier in the week. While Shep would be the one to actually rescue the band, Anisse would be working her way through backstage with the pass that she had procured from a guy for two hundred bucks. It was terribly expensive but so worth it since she would be able to help Shep and the band from the inside.

"Will you be all right?" He studied her with concern, she looked tired from the lack of sleep but he could see her grey eyes were alert. She returned his gaze as she straightened her shoulders and gave a nod. He smiled. "Neesy, thank you."

Anisse returned his smile and reached out to hug him. "I would paint the sky with the stars themselves if it meant helping you."

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed gently before he pulled away, his smile was gentle. "Only you would think to _paint_ the sky with stars but knowing you as I do, you could do it." He enjoyed the sight of the faint pink that rose into her lightly tan cheeks. A laugh escaped as he went to his sleeping bag and ran a hand through his brown hair. "I suggest we get some sleep, we're going to need it for tonight."

Anisse nodded as she went to her bag and sat down on it. Beside her pillow was her sketch pad, lately she had been drawing a lot more. Her head was filled with images of swirling stars, colored lights and the dancing forms of people. She was sketching down everything that she dreamed of, most particularly the dream of the mysterious stranger reaching a hand out to her. That mysterious person had a face now and it was the guitarist who had filled that blank spot. How odd…

Shep had been watching his friend as she thoughtfully ran her slender fingers over her sketch pad then curled up and went to sleep. Tonight was the night that they would finally rescue his favorite band and once they were free, they could finally head back home to their planet. Exactly how though with his ship damaged, he did not know but he would figure it out. Neesy would help them find a way. A sad smile touched his blue face as he watched his friend sleep; he would miss her. Who would have thought that one of his closest friends would be an alien? It was almost unbelievable.

While he sat there, his thoughts wandering as sleep began to claim him, one of those thoughts lingered strongly among the others. Would she want to? He could ask her once all of this was over. She just might… Finally sleep took over and his head slumped down against the pillow.

--

They had went their separate ways that afternoon with very little to say. Both were nervous about what the evening would bring about. Anisse had left that afternoon to try and get ahead of the traffic jams that were going to occur because of the concert. The back of the grey minivan was filled with random cases of musical instruments. She had figured out how to utilize the little computer bracelet that adorned her left wrist. She had used it to create the instrument cases for when she made it to backstage. She would blend in with the staff and when it finally came time to escape, she would be there to lead the way to the car.

As the sun began to set, Shep had equipped the yellow glider over the cloak that Neesy had given him. He threw the hood over his head and stared up at the sky, where a lone helicopter passed by. He wondered where Neesy was at the moment, he hoped she was all right. His thoughts traveled then to the mission at hand, the image of Stella as a human playing over and over in his mind. His face hardened at this and he pressed a few buttons on the glider. The little engines flared to life and after a moment's hesitation, he took to the sky. He had to rescue them… he had to rescue Stella…

--

It was so much worse than Anisse had anticipated. People were everywhere; they overflowed from the stadium and spilled out onto the parking lots and nearby hills. With so many people and so much confusion going on, it was surprisingly easy to make it through to the staff parking lot with her pass and the back of the minivan filled with cases of instruments. She drove around to the entrance that was closest to the stage and parked, her heart fluttering. This was it. There were some people already running in and out of the entrance for whatever reason. She took in a breath and started to work on unloading the cases from the car. It was getting darker and the screaming and cheering from further in the stadium was the first sign that the concert was about to begin.

With some of the cases in hand, she made her way carefully to the entrance, waving the pass to the security guard that stood off to one side. The guard barely looked at her as he waved her through along with some others who rushed around her. She was in, now she just had to make sure that the exit was clear once Shep was done…

--

The concert was in full swing, the music roared from every corner of the stadium while an orchestra played in the background. Arpegius kept his eyes on his guitar as his right hand strummed every note and his left moved effortlessly over the neck. Keep playing... keep playing… no matter what… play…

Once his eyes moved away from his guitar and looked ahead to where Stella played her bass guitar in the forefront of the band. His eyes then moved beyond the stage but he could not see anything passed the orchestra aside from the spotlights. Was she out there watching? He could feel the charm bracelet in his left pocket, poking against his thigh. If only he could remember more…

The sudden cries of the audience escalated then as something large landed from the sky and onto the stage near him. He stopped playing his guitar as he turned to face the strange man with blue skin, wearing a maroon and purple jumpsuit, that had appeared as if from no where. Only a second passed before the man held up a strange looking device about the size of his hand. He pressed a button on the device and a green light flashed from it. There was an odd crackling sound just above his ear, like something was short circuiting, and then awareness came flooding through like a tidal wave. The fogginess that had been wrapped around his senses lifted and he blinked once then twice. Arpegius stared at the guitar in his hands then took it off and threw it on the ground. What was going on? Where was he?

While Arpgeius was trying to comprehend the sudden clarity that was now his, the blue skinned man had turned his attention to Baryl. The little green light flashed and a second later, Baryl was blinking while he stared at the drumsticks in his hands. Octave came next as the green light flashed and he blinked, stumbling back from the keyboard. He placed a hand to his head and glanced over at his band members with as much confusion as they apparently felt. What had happened?

Arpegius was staring at his hands, turning them back and forth, they didn't look right for some reason… he didn't know why but they just looked odd. Dropping his hands, he looked back at the stranger who now pointed the device at Stella. She only stood there with her guitar in hand, her unfocused eyes barely registering what was going on. The man had a wistful look on his face as he hesitated for a minute then a smile emerged and he pressed the button on the device…

Nothing happened. The stranger's face turned pale as he dropped his hand in surprise. In that brief moment of hesitation, the old manager had arrived on stage and skidded to a stop in front of her, blocking the signal that would disrupt Stella's mind control device. He glared at the blue skinned man, his face devoid of any smirk. Sticking out from the pocket of his white tux, a strange gun was pointing right at the man.

The man took a step back then turned to the rest of the band members. He started to speak but all that came out was gibberish. He pointed toward the end of the stage and beckoned them to follow. Octave and Baryl stared at the man as if he was crazy and Arpegius shook his head. "Not without Stella."

The man grabbed Arpegius' arm and pulled him. He said something again but Arpegius couldn't understand him. Finally the man yelled something that sounded like, "No time!" before he ran off the stage. Arpegius stared at his sister for that brief moment then growled under his breath and went to follow Octave and Baryl, who already went to follow the strange man.

The man led the way as the others followed him into backstage, running as fast as their legs could carry them. After a minute of weaving through some corridors, the man skidded to a stop with a shout. A woman with long dark hair was waving frantically to them from across the way, beckoning them to follow. The man was off in heartbeat and the three band members followed after him. The woman was waiting for them and the blue skinned man grabbed her arm as they ran. He was speaking to her in that strange language and the odd thing was that she was responding to him in the same language. None of the band members could understand them as they ran through one of the exits, the woman stumbling in her black boots as she tried to keep up.

Once they were outside, the blue skinned man ran to a grey minivan that was parked near the exit and jumped into the driver's seat. The woman rushed to open all of the doors and said something in that funny language to all three of them. When they just stared at her, she blinked her grey eyes and shook her head before speaking in the language they all understood. "Hurry up and get into the car, we don't have much time before those guards catch up with us!"

Arpegius could not believe his eyes, it was her, the woman from the signing. Octave and Baryl clambered into the backseat of the minivan without a word. The woman looked at Arpegius and waved to him with earnest. "Please, get in!" She said then climbed into the backseat with the others. Arpegius rushed to climb into the passenger side and barely shut the door before the car drove off.

They raced out of the parking lot, passed an open gate and onto the highway that was clear of cars. The minivan was pushing about eighty miles per hour but the stadium was beginning to grow smaller as they tried to distance themselves from whoever was chasing them. There wasn't much time to talk but Arpegius was keenly aware of the slender hands that were gripping the back of his headrest as if for dear life. He looked in the back where Octave was behind the driver's seat, scrunched up next to a pile of instrument cases. Baryl was beside him, his face a deep red because the woman was practically on his lap as she leaned over to say something to the driver.

The man listened then shook his head and said something in return. The woman looked grim as she stared straight ahead, her hands still on Arpegius' seat. He stared at her with faint surprise, still finding it hard to believe that this was the same woman who had been haunting his foggy thoughts for days. The woman's grey eyes flicked his way, they stared at one another before a faint blush grew into her cheeks and she moved back into her seat.

They had a moment's peace of frantic driving before headlights appeared behind them, belonging to two sleek black cars that were gaining fast. The woman looked in the rear window and cursed then pulled back the left sleeve of her red suede jacket, revealing a strange white bracelet with a blue stone that flashed in response. She spoke to the driver in that language as her fingers danced over the buttons that surrounded the blue stone of the bracelet. She touched a finger to her ear and blue shades materialized over her eyes.

Arpegius could only stare as her eyes danced back and forth, reading something that only she could see. Blue shades and grey eyes… it really was her… She was still entering something into the bracelet when she glanced at her left and her face paled. "Get down!" She cried as she grabbed Baryl by the shoulders and pulled him out of the way of the red laser that was wavering between the seats.

A heartbeat passed before something crashed through the window, ricocheted off one of the cases that Octave had been leaning on and tore through the right shoulder of the driver's seat. The man winced as whatever had been shot through the window had hit him in his shoulder, gold blood erupting from the wound. The woman cried out in surprise as she let go of the drummer and focused on the bracelet. She pressed a few more buttons then threw her palm over the blue stone. A strange rainbow light encased her left hand and she held it out in toward the windshield, her face deathly pale. The bracelet's blue stone was flashing light as she moved her hand quickly up, down, side to side, several small circles and then side to side.

The blue skinned man was gripping the steering wheel with his left hand as he muttered something to the woman; his right hand had fallen to his side useless. The woman gritted her teeth as she saw one of the black cars pull up along side them with a weapon aimed straight at the driver. She reached out and pressed her palm over the blue button again and the light around her hand exploded.

It wasn't a moment too soon because just as the man in the black car was just about to pull the trigger, something huge had materialized right in the road. A large, red eighteen wheeler threw on its headlights and honked its loud horn. There was no driver in the seat but the wheel was turning as it barreled straight into the black cars. There was a terrible crunching sound as the first black car was thrown over the hood of the truck, rose into the air and crashed down onto the pavement in an explosion of shattered glass and metal. The second black car was not so lucky, it got caught under the fender of the truck and was dragged about twenty feet before it erupted in a glorious ball of fire. The truck kept right on driving down the road until its form began to waver and then it disintegrated into a pile of ash. They were in the clear.

The minivan made its way down the highway while Center City rose before them. Arpegius watched as the gold blood dripped from the man's shoulder and down to the floor of the car. The woman was speaking to the man as her grey eyes stayed on the gaping wound. The man wearily shook his head and kept on driving. Some emotion flickered over her pale face as she sat back against her seat, her grey eyes on the blue skinned man the entire time as the city drew ever closer…

--

Back on the highway, two figures emerged from the fire and the wreckage. Their suits were tattered as their flesh barely hung on their faces. They moved in a jittery manner while they watched the minivan disappear around a curve. The fire's light danced over the flashes of silver metal that could be seen between the hanging flesh and their eyes flashed an eerie red beneath black shades…


	10. Chapter 10

(A/n) Chapter ten! Whoopee!

To Sarah: If I could do two chapters a day I would but I hardly have the time to try and do even one a day… -grumbles about real life and sighs- Oh well, hope you like this one.

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Anisse is of my own creation.

* * *

"Over here… move him over here…"

Octave and Arpegius were helping a wounded Shep into the darkened warehouse. Anisse was carrying his triangular computer, which gave off a bright white glow to light the way. She set the computer down by their sleeping area and went to help Baryl move a rather tattered mattress in place of Shep's sleeping bag. While Baryl went to set the sleeping bag on the mattress, Octave and Arpegius carefully set him down. The mattress was arranged in a sitting position so that the blood wouldn't rush to his upper body. Anisse rushed back to the car and dug around in the back for the first aid kit.

Angrily, she brushed the tears that continued to fall away then went on to dig around under the backseat, knowing that the kit was under there somewhere. He was losing so much blood… if she would just find the stupid first aid kit! Finally her hand grasped the plastic and she tugged it out, grabbing the spare blanket she kept with it. She clambered out of the back of the car and turned around only to bump into something warm and solid. Large hands steadied her and she glanced up to find herself staring straight at Arpegius.

A deep frown was settled on his face while his brown eyes searched hers. "What can we do to help?"

Taking in a shuddering breath, she was relieved when he dropped his hands and she rushed the few steps back to the sleeping corner between the crates. When she turned the corner, she was grateful to see that Shep already had shed the jacket of the jumpsuit off his right shoulder. He was trembling as Anisse kneeled down beside him and opened the first aid kit. She turned to Octave and held the blanket out to him. "Could you tear this in strips for me?"

Octave only nodded gravely in response and took the blanket in order to make bandages. She was deathly pale as she leaned into study the wound and tried her best to fight down the tears. Whatever it was that had shot her friend had torn through his right shoulder. It was a deep wound and it needed to be stitched, something that the first aid kit lacked. She dug around in the kit and tried her best to clean the wound with what she had. She wasn't a nurse after all so she had no experience with serious wounds like this. Her hands were trembling and they were slick with his gold blood. It was only when she felt a hand grip hers that she finally looked at her friend.

Shep was smiling up at her even though his face was a pale shade of his usual blue. "You're… doing fine Neesy…" He said and squeezed her hand.

Anisse's breath hitched slightly and she closed her eyes to calm her frantically beating heart. She needed to stem the blood flow and fast. When Octave had handed her the first strip of bandage, she nearly cried with relief and took it to tie tightly around Shep's upper arm. She needed more pressure on the wound itself and she took one of the other strips. "This is going to hurt but I have to try and stop the blood…"

Shep said nothing in response; he only gritted his teeth and gave a nod. There was nothing but trust in his deep blue eyes and he kept that pained smile on his face even when she pressed the bandage against the wound. He gasped and gritted his teeth tighter. She wasn't strong enough; the blood was still coming on strong even as she pushed down. A few tears escaped as she opened her mouth to ask for one of the guys to help but strong hands were already there over hers. She looked at her right in surprise to find Arpegius there beside her, his dark brown hair falling over his brow. "I got this, just wrap up the wound." His deep voice spoke just above her ear.

A little out of breath, she gave a nod and proceeded to wrap strips of bandages around and around Shep's shoulder until it was snug. Arpegius released the pressure he had over the wound and Anisse tied the ends of the strips together. She sat back on her knees and studied her handiwork. It wasn't neat bit it would do until he could get medical attention… but where could he get it from? He didn't bring any major medical supplies from his ship and even if he had she would have no idea on how to use it.

"Neesy…" Shep took in a breath and placed a hand over his wounded shoulder. "It feels good… you would have made a good nurse…"

At this comment, she blinked in response. She stared at the small smile he gave her and she started to laugh, just a bit.

"What did he say?"

Anisse looked at the drummer who spoke. Baryl was twisting the white towel, which he normally wore around his neck, between his hands. His long brown hair fell down past his shoulders, even though he was a short man he had a definition about him. Turning her attention back to her friend, she rubbed the tears out of her eyes. "He said… I would have made a great nurse…"

The worry on Baryl's face eased a little and a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. The keyboardist was the first to break the tension in the room. Octave had risen to his feet and had folded his arms across his chest. He was staring at Shep then at Anisse before his fingers disappeared into his dark, curling hair. His olive skin was in such contrast with the fierce white glow the computer gave off. "Who are you?" He asked, his eyes flicking to Anisse. "Who is he? What has been going on here?"

He walked away from the group and rubbed his forehead. "I can't remember anything clearly… not until this night." He turned back to look at Anisse and shook his head. "We can't understand anything your friend says but you can… do you think you can enlighten us as to what has been happening? Why are we here?"

Anisse gave a nod while she shifted her position and sat cross legged beside the mattress. Arpegius had gotten to his feet and went to lean against one of the crates that surrounded the corner. He stayed near the woman, his gaze studying her even as his hand reached into his left pocket to feel for the charm bracelet that was hers. His fingers curled around the charms, it was so familiar to him now and he could recall those foggy moments when he had seen her.

He watched as she turned her attention to her wounded friend and translated everything that Octave had said. The man said something in turn and she listened, the white light glowing from the triangle beside the mattress reflecting in the grey of her eyes. She turned her attention back to Octave. "He said that he will explain everything but afterwards you must go and rescue Stella. There isn't much time to waste and the longer that we stay here, the harder it will be to rescue her."

"We're going to go after her even if we hear the story or not." It was Arpegius who spoke this time, his intense gaze on the woman's face. She glanced back at him and there was something in her eyes, some emotion that flickered past. It disappeared just as quickly though and she turned her attention back to Octave and Baryl.

"My name is Anisse Sterre and this is my friend Shepardeus but he likes to be called Shep…" She nodded to the blue skinned man, who gave a trembling smile to his favorite band. She translated what she had said to Shep and he studied her. The trembling smile had softened and his deep blue eyes looked up at Arpegius, who was standing behind Anisse. He pointed to the dark haired woman and his smile deepened. "Call…Neesy…" He said in a broken variant of her language but they pretty much understood.

Arpegius could see the faint pink on her cheeks but she said nothing in response. Her name was Neesy… his fingers found the guitar charm and he rubbed it. She said something to Shep, who listened and gave a weary nod in response. She turned her attention then to the band members and brushed the dark hair from her eyes. "You might want to get a little more comfortable… this is a long story…"

--

Several hours and one story later, Shep was resting against the mattress, his eyes closed. Anisse had pulled the guys toward the car and taken out the schedule of the tour that had helped to keep track of The Crescendolls whereabouts as well as the map of the city. She set the papers on the hood of her minivan and pointed on the map. All three of them were leaning over the hood to get a better look. She pointed on the map where a small purple dot was labeled the Cosmic Space.

"Here is where they will be having the annual Heavenly Stars fashion show. It is the biggest fashion event of the season and it is here that Stella is scheduled to appear." Her slender finger moved across the map and pointed to a red dot labeled the Golden Record Awards. "The following night is when they have the Golden Records Awards. You were all scheduled to appear there for your nomination. I guarantee this is where Stella will be as well." She released a shuddering sigh as she straightened and held a hand over her eyes to fight back the wave of exhaustion. She dropped her hand and pulled out the small device that Shep had given her. "You will have your chances then to deactivate the mind control device with this."

She held out the small device that had been used to free the guys of their enslavement and looked at each of them. "You will only have one shot with this so make it count. They will be looking for anyone to try anything suspicious so you have to be extra careful."

They all looked at each other for a moment then it was Baryl who took a huge gulp and stepped forward to grab the device from her hand. She gave an encouraging smile to him and he blushed. She turned her attention to the little computer bracelet on her arm and started to enter something into it. A moment passed and then she was moving her hand in several different ways, pressing the flashing blue stone every time she was done.

On the hood of the car materialized: a large black coat, a large black hat, a fake brown moustache and a camera with an ID badge that read Music Today. She took each item and handed them to Baryl. "It's not exactly a great disguise but there will be a lot of people and even more cameras. You'll blend right in…"

"Don't worry, you can count on me." He smiled at her then proceeded to get dressed in his new disguise.

Somewhat satisfied, she turned her attention to Octave and Arpegius. "You'll need transportation to get to these places. I would say use my car but they already know what it looks like…" She trailed off as she moved away from the car and out of the warehouse. The moon was shining bright even against the haze of streetlights and pollution. When they had gone to follow her outside, she was already at work on something and the next moment, a yellow car had materialized in front of the warehouse. On the sides were written in bold, black letters: Taxi.

She turned to face them and gave a weak smile, she looked so tired. "You can use this to get where you need to go. It's not as big as the truck so it will last longer. I'll give it a day and a half, maybe two before it disappears."

Baryl had emerged from the warehouse then with the map of the city in hand. She smiled at them all and hung her head. "That is all I can do for now. I need to stay here with Shep and look after him. Promise me you all will be very, very careful."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she glanced up to find Octave smiling down at her. "We'll handle it from here Neesy. Don't worry; just make sure you take care of our friend and yourself."

Anisse could only smile and she nodded in response. He patted her shoulder then went to jump in behind the wheel of the taxi. Baryl went to hop into the backseat, looking a little funny in the large coat and hat with the camera hanging from his neck. Something seemed a little odd and Anisse noticed that someone had not joined the others in the cab. They all looked at Arpegius, who was standing beside Anisse with his hand in the left pocket of his black pants. He looked at his band mates and gave a nod. "I'm going to stay here with Neesy. The less of us that are there the better chance we'll have at getting close to Stella."

Octave smiled at his friend. "All right then. You two look out for Shep and Baryl and I will get Stella." The engine roared to life and the headlights shone bright against the sleek pavement. "We'll be back by tomorrow night, that's a promise." With that, he gave a wave and drove off. Baryl had leaned out the window and was waving frantically. "Arpegius! Take care of them for us! We'll have Stella back before you know it!" The car turned a corner then and disappeared from sight.

Anisse just stood there with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She shivered against the cold and something else that hung about, a feeling of dread? She stiffened slightly when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and a large hand rub her arm. She blinked and looked up at Arpegius in confusion.

"Neesy, it'll be all right. They'll get her back; you can trust me on that." He said as he gave her a squeeze. "Let's go back inside and see how Shep's doing…"A small and gentle smile played on his lips while his brown eyes searched her face. She felt herself begin to relax and she nodded in turn. He let her go and took a few steps back to the warehouse. He glanced back at her to see that she was following then thrust his hand into his left pocket. His fingers curled around the silver charm bracelet and he sighed. So much in one day yet he knew that they were just beginning to scratch the surface of reasons as to why all of them were here in the first place.


	11. Chapter 11

(a/n) Here is chapter 11, yippee!

To Sarah: Sorry for not updating in a few days. I haven't been feeling well but I didn't want to miss another day. Here is a filler chapter in the mean time.

And I will state the obvious: Arpegius is the vict- er, I mean, romance interest for my OC. So, for those of you who actually read this (there are some because the hits for this fic go up a little each day. :) ) there will be some light fluff hence it being in the romance category. That being said, enjoy.

Disclaimer: See first Chapter. Anisse is of my own creation.

* * *

He was sleeping and deeply from the looks of it. The gold blood that stained his bandages was now starting to dry to the color of copper. He looked terribly pale under the light of his triangular computer and Anisse moved what was left of the blanket over his shoulders. His face twitched but he didn't wake and she heaved a gentle sigh as she moved away and sat on her sleeping bag to watch him.

"You really care about him, don't you?"

She looked over at Arpegius, who was sitting a few feet away with his back against a crate. He was just beyond the light and she couldn't make out his face too well. The question had caught her off guard and her grey eyes went back to her friend. "Yes… he is… my best friend…" She trailed off as she said this, having not realized how much Shep meant to her until this moment.

She heard the shuffling of sneakers and a grunt as Arpegius got to his feet. Her gaze remained on Shep's pale face though she was aware of Arpegius moving toward her and taking a seat on the sleeping bag beside her. He propped his knees up and rested his elbows on them. He stared at his red sneakers as his fingers drummed to a beat that only he heard. Silence fell, heavy and tense, before they both spoke at the same time.

"I was wondering-."

"You never said-."

They both paused and looked at each other in surprise. Their eyes studied one another's before Anisse blushed deeply and looked away. She found it a little hard to look at him when the image of his true golden haired, blue skinned self kept dancing in her mind's eye. "I'm sorry, go ahead." She said while she tucked her legs under her.

Arpegius was silent for a moment then gave a nod while a hand went right into his dark brown hair. "You never said how it was exactly that you know him." They glanced at each other again and his hand dropped to his side. "I mean, are you like us? You speak his language but you don't look anything like him. When you were translating his story for us, you didn't mention how you came to meet him."

Anisse's grey eyes traveled over his face before she smiled and shook her head. "I really didn't, did I?"

Her smile seemed to have an odd effect on his senses and his eyes lingered on her lips. She looked away from him and settled her gaze on her sleeping friend. "I'm not like you and him, I'm only human. How I came to understand his language, I couldn't really explain in a clear way." She leaned back against her hands while her head tilted to the side, her dark hair falling with the motion and hiding her face from view. "How I met him… well, I was driving home one night. It was a stormy night and terribly dark out. I live in a small cabin in the middle of this forest. So it happened that while I was driving, something staggered out into the middle of the road." Her smile was a sweet one as she brushed her hair aside. "I almost had run him over with my car. It must have been his lucky day. He was terribly exhausted and had no place to go. I brought him home and well… fate handled the rest."

Arpegius watched the woman beside him while she recounted her tale of how it was that she had gotten to know the man from beyond the stars. How she had gotten to know his language, his people, and his home. Arpegius listened with interest and yet he could not find any sort of attachment to her words. He had no memories of this place that was supposed to be his home his well. He had a few bits and pieces of fragmented memories of a childhood but they didn't seem right. Whatever the kidnappers had done to his and his band mates' real memories was a mystery that he was going to solve.

"What about you?"

Arpegius blinked and looked at Anisse, he didn't realize that she had finished talking and had asked him a question. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Her smile grew and a small laugh escaped. His heart gave a strange thump at the sound of her laugh and the sight of her smile. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. She had turned to face him properly and her grey eyes looked more like silver at this angle. "I asked if you can remember anything, anything at all. Of your true home, of your life before…"

He frowned lightly and shook his head, his eyes finding the sight of his red sneakers to be very interesting. "No… nothing. I… don't even understand the language that you and Shep speak." He ground the heels of his palms into his eyes as frustration took over. "I should know this. Something is nagging at me that I should remember but… I can't recall."

Anisse frowned in sympathy and she reached over to place a hand on his shoulder. "You'll remember if you give it time. You just managed to get you awareness back, the rest will follow and you'll remember everything."

Arpegius was quiet but he was keenly aware of the small hand on his shoulder and he was aware of the charm bracelet that was in his left pocket. He turned his head slowly to look at her and he stared into her grey eyes. Without thinking, he reached up and ran his callused fingers slowly down along her cheek. Her skin was so soft. "I remember you Neesy…" He whispered as his fingers danced above her skin. "At the store with all of those people, I remember when you fell on the table. I remember seeing you in the crowds wherever we went… you were always there watching. You looked so sad…"

The deep blush that rose in response to his touch and his words did little to help. She gazed into his brown eyes, the light shining on his face, and she could see something peculiar. His brown eyes were changing, they seemed a little lighter than before and she thought she could see flecks of azure dotted around the iris. His eyes had settled on her lips and the tension grew thick. His fingers trailed down to lightly cup her chin and he leaned in just a little…

The voice that spoke beside them made them both jump in surprise. They looked over to find Shep very much awake and staring at them. His hand had found its way to his shoulder but his pale blue face was showing nothing but pure amusement. His deep blue eyes flicked over to Anisse and he said something. Whatever it was, Arpegius could not understand but it made Anisse's face turn different shades of red. She said something in response before quickly getting to her feet and going off to the car. She opened the back and disappeared from sight, apparently looking for something but Arpegius had the feeling it was for a distraction.

He felt his own face heat up as the thought of what he had almost done, what they had… What had gotten over him? He looked over at Shep, who had a trembling smile on his face. Whatever it was that the blue skinned man found amusing, Arpegius did not want to know. Shep gave a weak laugh and nodded his head in the direction of the car. "Neesy… is kind… pretty…" He said in the broken version of the language Arpegius understood, his smile growing at the sight of Arpegius' obvious discomfort. "Don't blame you…"

Arpegius opened his mouth to reply but Anisse had returned with some sandwiches, a few bottles of water and an extra shirt that she had packed away. She looked at the blushing Arpegius to the smiling Shep and she frowned. She said something to Shep as she set the food and water down on the sleeping bag. She then proceeded to rip the shirt into fresh strips of bandages to change.

Shep winced when Anisse had touched his wounded shoulder but it did not stop him from saying something else. She threw a quick glance at Arpegius and her blush returned full force. She muttered something to Shep and proceeded to work on his shoulder.

The moments passed as she changed the bandages for fresh ones. The moment she had removed the old ones, the wound had started to bleed all over. With Arpegius' help, they were able to wrap quickly but from the paleness that gripped Shep's face and the worry on Anisse's, they knew that if this kept up things were not going to be good.

Shep sensed the tension and he said something quick to Anisse, smiling as he did so. It had no effect though and she had to excuse herself quickly. Arpegius saw the sparkle of tears in her eyes as she moved off beyond the light.

Arpegius looked at Shep's shoulder and his frown grew deep. "She's afraid for you..." He said softly to the man who had saved his and his band members' lives.

Shep gave a weak nod in understanding and Arpegius could see that knowledge in his eyes, the knowledge that one has when they know they don't have much time. "I… know…" Shep said and drew in a labored breath…


	12. Chapter 12

(A/n) Here is chapter 12 :)

To Sarah: Welcome back! You were missed! :(

Disclaimer: See first chapter

* * *

She felt empty… With her brother, Octave and Baryl gone missing, she felt as if a part of her had disappeared with them. The manager had been absolutely livid because they had disappeared but he had calmed when he looked at Stella and that terrible smirk floated across his face. "It does not matter. The wheels are already set it motion for the award ceremony." He had turned to face her and reached out to cup her chin in a cold and clammy hand. "And I still have you my dear…"

Stella could only stare at the man in turn from behind her purple shades and say nothing. She could say nothing, do nothing, without his say so and she listened. A part of her screamed in protest with every command that he gave but her body would only obey him. He released her and adjusted the black coat of his tux. "Come my pet, we have a fashion show to attend." He ran a hand through his grey hair and gave a signal to the two guards that were beside the door of the penthouse.

Stella closed her eyes and followed the manager while the guards followed behind her. They looked odd, their faces had discolored patches and bruises, yet they did not seem to be in pain. They left the penthouse, took the elevator to the ground floor of the building and went to climb into the waiting white limo.

The bigger guard of the two climbed in after the manager and Stella and plopped himself down right beside her. She was scrunched up against the side of the limo but could do nothing of it. She stared out of the window as the limo began to pull away and she wondered, through the haze that constantly guarded her senses, where her brother and the others were…

--

Cameras were flashing everywhere and blinding the people that sat along the runway. Various models strolled out onto the catwalk, displaying different outfits from the totally bazaar to designer sheik. Stella followed the manager to reserved seating and sat down beside him, her unfocused gaze traveling down to stare at the floor. Her light brown hair fell about her face and her hands remained limp on her lap.

Across the way, where the cameras flashed non stop, a short man with a large black hat focused his camera on the woman with the purple shades. He pulled the camera down while a light frown twitched beneath the large brown mustache. The manager was sitting right next to her so he could not get a clear shot. His guards were standing along the back wall, scanning the immediate area. He cursed silently; there was no way he could get to her here, not with those men so close.

Sighing in defeat, he took a few more pictures and waited. They would have to get her this evening at the award ceremony. It would have to be at the right moment, when the guards were not around and the manager was distracted. He took another picture and stared at Stella with a determined look. "Don't worry Stella… We'll get you out of there…"

--

"You will wear this for the award ceremony. Dress quickly."

Stella stood in the middle of the penthouse and stared at the manager that held the light blue dress. Her body moving of its own accord she reached out to take the dress and turned to head into her room. She changed into the dress, moving in a dreamlike state, while putting on the belt, jewelry and other accessories that went with it. She emerged from the room and made her way to the window. She stared outside to the setting sun and the heartache that that she had felt since her band mates had disappeared welled up through the haze that clouded her mind.

She watched the clouds as they drifted by and it was how the manager found her. She turned around to face him, a lingering feeling of disgust rising up as he studied her with an appreciative glance and that terrible smirk. "Beautiful… come, we have a gold record to win."

He turned around as he pulled on the coat to his purple tux and headed toward the door. That was when something fluttered down from the inside of his coat and onto the carpet. She walked over to where the small item had fallen and reached down to pick it up. Straightening, she saw that it looked like a business card. She turned the card over and read in bright red letters:

Darkwood Manor

05/05

5:55

A little confused at the sight of it, she tucked the card down beneath the neckline of her dress. It seemed important, she should hold onto it just in case. Closing her eyes, she walked out of the penthouse to where the manager stood waiting with his guards and followed them to the waiting limo.

--

The Golden Record Awards were the culmination of every musician's dream. It was here that careers were fully stamped down as the most talented of all and would carry the honor of having their music down into history. The evening was just beginning; Stella was seated beside the manager and the Rocket Records CEO, Nate Conway. The audience was filled with excited musicians, actors, and all of the high society of Center City.

Various acts played music on stage and people cheered, Stella registered none of this. When the ceremony itself began, she did not even look up when The Cresendolls were named among the top nominees. Everything was surreal especially when The Crescendolls were announced the winners of the Golden Record Award. Nate was beside himself as he jumped out of his seat and the manager was grabbing her arm to pull her toward the stage. The guards remained where they were as they climbed the steps to the stage and the manager accepted the gold record.

A manic gleam appeared in his eyes as he held up the award. Stella stood off to one side while the cameras flashed and the audience cheered. When was this going to end? As if on cue, a strange green flash caught her eye and the sound of something short circuiting crackled just above her ear. Suddenly, awareness washed down over her and the haze that had surrounded her senses for the longest time finally lifted.

She blinked in surprise and looked toward the bottom of the stage steps where the people with cameras stood, the lights flashing. She caught the sight of a short figure among the crowd, a large black hat covering his face from view. He lifted his head and removed the brown mustache with a small smile. She couldn't believe it, it was Baryl.

Baryl beckoned to her to follow before turning and running off toward backstage. Stumbling back away from the manager who was wrapped up in his glory, Stella turned and ran off of the stage. She staggered down the steps toward backstage and found Baryl waiting for her. He beckoned to her once again. "C'mon Stella, this way!"

She didn't hesitate as she followed Baryl out of the building and onto the rainy street. A yellow cab had turned the corner at that moment and skidded to a stop in front of them. "Hurry, get in." He said while reaching out to open the door for her. She clambered into the backseat and slid across to the opposite side. Baryl climbed in after her and barely closed the door before the driver sped off rather recklessly.

Her heart was pounding as she looked at Baryl then at the driver. The driver behind the wheel lifted his hat and flashed a smile at her. "Welcome back Stella." He said.

"Octave." Her voice was barely a whisper as a hand went up to her throat and she looked over at Baryl, who had thrown the camera and mustache aside. He flashed a smile her way and Stella felt herself, for the first time since she could remember clearly, as if everything was going to be all right…


	13. Chapter 13

(A/n) I got a new reader! -=waves hello to the new reader that alerted the story=- It's so nice to see more people like this story. It has over 450 hits! ^.^ It is a lot more than I ever thought it would get! XD

To Sarah: um… -=sniffs=- Sorry for the delay, I have been avoiding this chapter for good reason… -=eyes well with tears then cries and runs off=-

* * *

It was raining again; the sound of it pounding against the pavement was somewhat soothing. Anisse stood at the warehouse door, watching and waiting. Her grey eyes were watching the dark clouds as they began roll over the city and behind those clouds, a somewhat full moon that tried its hardest to shine to the earth below.

She heard the footsteps behind her and took in a breath as Arpegius stopped beside her. His hands were deep in the pockets of his black pants and he watched the rain as it fell, a frown etched across his features. She glanced at him and felt her heart grow heavy. "How is he?" She asked, already she knew the answer even as Arpegius looked at her and he shook his head.

A sob caught in her throat and she placed a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound. Shep had begun to run a very high fever and even after trying to keep him as warm as possible, he was still shivering and his breathing was becoming more labored. She would have taken him to a hospital but the chaos that would ensue since he was not human… All she could do was watch over her best friend as he started to slowly slip away. "I hope they found her…" She whispered as she turned away and walked back inside the warehouse.

Arpegius watched as she walked back to the sleeping area where Shep rested. His heart ached for her, she was losing her friend and she didn't know what to do to save him. She tried to put on a brave face around Shep but Arpegius could see the anguish in her grey eyes every time she looked away. He turned his gaze back out to the rain and gripped Anisse's charm bracelet tightly. He wished he could help her, he wished he had the power to save the life of the man who had risked everything to rescue him and his band mates.

In the sleeping area, Anisse was kneeling beside her friend and adjusting the blanket on his form for the umpteenth time. Shep opened his eyes and his deep blue gaze focused on the human woman who had helped him through everything. He gave a weak smile. "Why… so sad?" He whispered as he struggled to lift a hand to touch her face.

Anisse took his hand in both of hers and placed her cheek in his open palm. Her tears slid down her cheeks as she buried her face in the warmth of his touch. "I'm not sad…" She replied, her voice wavering. "I just need to cry…"

"You're a terrible liar…" Shep laughed weakly and shook his head, running his thumb across her cheek. His smile faded and he cupped her chin, his blue eyes focusing on hers. "Don't be sad Neesy… please. I hate to see you cry."

She squeezed her eyes shut as she shook her head and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. "Please don't leave me Shep. You're my best friend… if you leave… I don't know what I would do." She choked back another sob and opened her eyes. Shep gazed into the shining orbs that looked like liquid silver. He could see her pain, her anguish, but most of all he could see her love.

He smiled just a little and ran his fingers along her jaw. "You'll be all right… You won't be alone." He flicked his eyes past her shoulder and gave a nod in the direction of where Arpegius still stood by the warehouse door. "Remember what I said earlier... They are going to need your help. They need to remember who they are… where they came from… and when they do, they will need to find a way back home. They can't do it alone." His smile grew. "Besides, Arpegius is starting to like you."

Anisse gave a teary laugh in response and squeezed his hand. "Wouldn't that be something? The guy I've been dreaming about for weeks now might actually like me."

Shep could see the light blush that stained her cheeks at the mention of the guitarist and he knew that the one thought that had been nagging him since before they rescued the band just might be a possibility. He watched as Anisse closed her eyes, took in a shuddering breath and reached over to place a firm kiss on his brow. "Shep… you've been my only true friend… I just need you to know how much you mean to me."

Shep closed his eyes at the touch and when she pulled away, he gave a trembling smile. "I know… Neesy." His whispered her name and closed his eyes. "I'm so tired…"

"Just hang tight, all right? Octave and Baryl will be back soon and Stella will be here." Anisse brushed the hair from his forehead as he opened his eyes and a smile, one that could only described as one filled with love, touched his lips. "Stella…" He closed his eyes as the image of the beautiful bass player filled his thoughts.

Anisse left him to his thoughts and got to her feet, her sight blinded by tears. She turned the corner of the crate to go back to the warehouse entrance when she slammed into something solid and warm. She looked up in surprise and found Arpegius holding her steady, a look of concern on his face. "Neesy… are you all right?"

His voice was so soft, so soothing, and she shook her head in reply as the tears fell. "I'm losing my best friend…" She whispered and she wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in the warmth of his chest. She could feel him stiffen at the sudden display of emotion and then he relaxed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her trembling body closer. He rested his cheek against her hair and reached a hand to run his fingers down her dark hair.

Anisse cried into his red shirt, gripping the back of it as if he were her only lifeline. He was murmuring comforting words, encouraging her to cry her anguish out. After a few moments, she sniffed back her tears and slowly, almost reluctantly, pulled away. She wiped away a few straying tears and smiled sweetly. "Thank you." She whispered, her cheeks were a delicate pink and Arpegius could only nod in reply, his heart skipping a beat. For whatever reason, she had such a strange effect on him…

The sound of a car pulling up outside caught their ears and they both looked out the doorway to see the form of a yellow cab pulling to a stop. Both Anisse and Arpegius made a motion to go out and greet the returning band members but stopped and looked at each other. Anisse looked away, another sob threatening to come forth. "I already… let me go and greet them. If that's all right…"

Arpegius nodded in understanding and went back to keep an eye on Shep. Anisse watched him leave, her heart pounding from the conflicting emotions that waged war within her. She sighed and went outside to greet Octave, Baryl and hopefully, Stella.

--

"Arpegius…"

Arpegius looked up in surprise to find Shep wide awake and watching him, his breathing a little more labored than before. He moved quickly to Shep's side and kneeled down, his brown eyes studying the other man.

Shep gave a weak smile and nodded. He turned his head slightly to face the guitarist, his deep blue eyes studying Arpegius. "Listen…" He said, a shuddering sigh escaping his lips. "Neesy… needs you…"

Arpegius blinked in surprise, whatever he had been expecting to hear it wasn't that. Neesy needed him? Shep must have seen the confusion on his face and the blue skinned man gave a nod. "Yes… she has no one…" He paused to take in another breath, speaking in a broken version of this language was harder now. "Arpegius… you promise… watch over her… always watch… promise?" He said the last word with urgency and he held out his hand.

Arpegius could only stare at the man as he thought about what he was asking. Promise to always watch over Neesy… she had no one and she needed him… but… "Why me?" He voiced this last thought.

Shep smiled at the guitarist and held his trembling hand out further. "Because… you care for her… I see it…always take care of her… promise?"

Arpegius stared at the blue hand that trembled and, without hesitation, reached out to grip it in his own and nodded. "I promise."

Shep's smile was one of relief and he gave a surprisingly firm shake before letting Arpegius' hand go. "Thank you." He said as he leaned back against the mattress with a sigh.

Arpegius could only watch the other man with slight awe, the promise he had just made circling back and forth in his mind. As if on cue, several footsteps rounded the corner of the crate and Arpegius glanced back to see Baryl, still dressed in the large black coat with the large black hat in hand. Stella followed after the drummer and Octave took up the rear. Arpegius quickly got to his feet and ran over to Stella, gripping her shoulders tightly as he pulled his sister into a hug.

"Stella! You're all right!" He exclaimed as he pulled away from her and gave her a quick shake. "You wouldn't believe what happened, who it was that rescued us. He risked so much to save us and…" He trailed off as he glanced over at Shep, who had a trembling smile on his face as he watched Stella.

Octave walked around the group as he studied Shep's pale blue and trembling form. "What happened? Why is he…?"

Stella saw the bandaged wound on his right shoulder and she gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth. She looked at her brother as tears began to well in her eyes. "What happened to him? How did he get hurt?"

Arpegius clenched his fists at his side as the frustration welled in him. His throat had grown tight and he swallowed. "When we were escaping, some people chased after us… they shot at the car and one of the shots…"

"…it wounded his shoulder…" A tired voice spoke from the shadows and they all turned to see Anisse walking toward the group. Her grey eyes were on Stella as she stopped on Arpegius' other side and she slowly shook her head. "Arpegius and I had tried… but there was so much blood loss…" Her voice choked at these words and she glanced down at the floor, her fists clenched tightly at her sides as the tears spilled.

"Damn it!" Octave had fallen to his knees and punched the ground in his fury. "This was not supposed to happen!" He punched the ground again and shook his head. "It's our fault that… we should have done more!"

"No…" Shep spoke; his voice wavered slightly as he shook his head. "…not your fault… Don't think that… not your fault." He gave a trembling smile and he struggled to lift his right hand. Everyone moved forward at once, thinking he was trying to get up, but Shep only held out his trembling hand to Stella and his smile grew. "Stella…" He whispered her name and he held his hand out further. "Give me your hand…"

Stella blinked in surprise and then looked at her brother, unsure of what to do. Arpegius looked at her and gave a firm nod. "It's all right." He said softly. "It'll be all right…"

She stared at her brother then at the blue skinned man that had his hand held out to her, a look of love in his eyes. She walked slowly toward him and kneeled down on the floor beside the mattress. She hesitated a bit then slowly reached out to place her hand in his. His strong fingers wrapped around her slender hand, it was strong and so warm. Stella began to relax and a small smile touched her lips as she gazed at Shep. He returned the smile and gave her hand a slight squeeze. At once, a blue glow erupted from the joined hand and began to pulse. Stella gasped in surprise before her eyes slowly closed and Shep's eyes followed suit.

Anisse watched all of this from beside Arpegius and she turned away from the sight of the love that Shep held for the woman of his dreams. She began to cry again, the ache in her heart as fresh as it had been the day she lost her parents… it was like that day all over again. She felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulders and she felt herself being pulled against familiar warmth. His shirt was still slightly damp from where she had cried earlier but he didn't say a word. Arpegius only held her close and let her cry.

He had promised Shep that he would watch over Neesy always and he found that it was a promise that he intended to keep. Holding her now as she cried, his own heart ached at the sound and he squeezed her gently while his eyes remained on his sister. Neesy's sobs had quieted just a bit but she did not move away. She buried her face against his chest and remained there, taking comfort in his solid warmth.

Time slowly passed before Shep had opened his eyes and reached out to grab his triangular computer. Stella's eyes were still closed, lost in whatever images that Shep was sharing with her. His deep blue eyes were filled with love and adoration as he carefully placed the computer in her hands. His breaths were coming fainter now as his hands grasped hers and then, with a last tender smile, Shep closed his eyes with a relaxing sigh. His hands slipped from hers and the blue light faded, his head resting back against the mattress.

Stella opened her eyes and looked down at the triangular computer that she held in her hands. She gasped as it gave a bright yellow glow and turned into a flat gold disc. From the disc, four blue skinned figures emerged and began to play their instruments. Baryl and Octave leaned in close, shock registering on their faces as they listened to their own music playing from the disc. Arpegius gently released his hold on Neesy and moved over to stand behind his sister, watching the figures as they moved with the music.

Anisse watched them as the toy versions of their true selves played their music. Recognition dawned on their faces, this was the truth, their real selves, and to finally see it. They all looked at each other and nodded; they knew what they had to do. Anisse took in a gasping breath as her tears spilled, her eyes moving to the still form of her friend. She smiled softly and held a hand over her heart.

"You finally saved them…" She whispered and closed her eyes, a single prayer slipping past her lips. She hoped that wherever her friend had went, her parents would be there to greet him…


	14. Chapter 14

(a/n) Sorry for not updating in awhile, I haven't been in the mood to write this story lately. But I decided it was time to update so here is a nice long chapter for those few of you who read this.

Special thank you to Sarah and Natalya for reviewing!

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Chapter 14

Sometime after Shep had passed away, everyone had helped to cover up their dear friend and place him carefully in the back of the grey minivan. After that, it felt as if everyone moved in a daze as they helped to pack what few belongings Anisse had. Anisse herself felt completely numb as she tucked her sleeping bag along the back seat. She could hear the others talking amongst themselves as they tried to figure out where to go next. They had to bury their friend and it was a task that Anisse was not looking forward to.

"Neesy?" A gentle female voice spoke behind her as she climbed out of the car. She quickly rubbed the tears from her cheeks as she turned to face the only other woman in the group. Stella was watching her with a concerned look in her light brown eyes; her own sadness was visible by the tiny frown that twitched at the corners of her mouth. Anisse brushed aside a loose strand of dark hair and forced a gentle smile to her lips. "Hey Stella… is something wrong?"

Stella slowly shook her head, her delicate hands still grasping the triangular computer that had belonged to the man who had shown her how deep his love for her had been. Her hands tightened protectively around it and she brought it close. "The guys and I… we're all ready to go when you are…"

Anisse's grey eyes flicked beyond the bass guitarist to where the three men stood murmuring softly to each other and her lips thinned just a bit. She looked back at Stella and gave a gentle nod. "I'm ready…" She smiled sadly as she reached out to place a gentle hand on Stella's shoulder. She glanced back over at the men and her gaze settled on Arpegius. "You guys, is it ok if one of you can drive? I don't feel much like being behind the wheel right now."

They all stopped talking and looked at her and Stella standing beside the minivan. They looked at each other and a heartbeat passed before Arpegius walked over. "I'll drive… I don't know where we're going though…"

"I'll give directions…" She handed over the car keys all too happily. "We'll need to get out of the city, head someplace quiet…" She trailed off as her voice grew a little hoarse and she cleared her throat. Arpegius remained quiet as he took the keys, his brown eyes studying the woman with worry. She had turned away from him and went to climb into the backseat, scooting over until she was behind the driver's seat.

Stella had settled herself in the front seat while Octave and Baryl sat in the back with Anisse. Arpegius went around to the driver's side and settled himself behind the wheel, closing the door behind him. The engine turned on, the sound of it echoing off the walls of the abandoned warehouse. He adjusted the rear view mirror and Anisse's reflection appeared. She was staring at the back of his seat and tears were welling in her eyes again. Her lower lip was trembling from the effort of fighting back the urge to cry and his heart ached at the sight. "Neesy… which way from here?" He smiled gently at her as she looked up and caught his eye in the mirror.

Anisse tried to swallow the tightness that had formed in her throat and released a gentle sigh. "As soon as you leave the warehouse, make a left and follow the road until you reach Harbor Way…"

Arpegius shifted the minivan into drive and slowly eased the car out into the dark morning…

--

The drive away from the city was one filled with quiet sadness. Arpegius had followed Anisse's directions through the confusing streets until they had finally reached one of the roads that led out of the city. As Center City began to fade away into the distance, the horizon was beginning to lighten from the coming morning. The sight of the ocean greeted them while a sole lighthouse shined its beam out to the distance, always warning the ships that sailed there. Anisse stared out the window to the passing scenery but didn't really take any of the sights in.

Her heart was feeling as if someone had taken a sharp knife and slowly sliced away a piece of it so that all she had was an open, bleeding wound. She rested her head against her seat, trying her best not to think that the body of her best friend was behind her. Her thoughts kept going back to the moment that Shep had been shot and wondering if there was anything, _anything, _which could have been done to avoid it. They should have been better prepared… she should have… but neither she nor Shep had put to the thought that the kidnappers might have been armed or that they would have gone through such lengths to keep the band from escaping.

The sun continued to rise and brought with it the signs of a beautiful day to come. At some point along the drive, the exhaustion had caught up with Anisse and she had fallen asleep. Her head had slid slowly down along the seat until it finally settled down on Octave's shoulder, which caught him entirely by surprise. "Um…" He looked over at Baryl, who sat beside him then up at the front where he caught Arpegius' eye in the rear view mirror. "Should I… er- should I wake her up?"

"Let her sleep…" It was Stella who spoke and she glanced back to see Anisse sleeping comfortably against Octave's shoulder, a light snore could be heard coming from her. Stella smiled a little and looked at Octave. "She needs it…"

Octave gave a nod and tried his best not to move too much. He hoped that she was a sound sleeper…

--

As the minivan cruised its away along the road, the scenery began to change from crowded suburb areas to wide open farmland. Octave and Baryl stared out Baryl's window as they caught the sight of horses running across the large field beside the road, their long haired tails trailing behind them. Their smiles grew as they watched the graceful animals with awe. The scenery continued to change as the farms became more spaced, a few windmills dotting the landscape.

Arpegius' eyes found themselves being drawn to the sight of a family out in their fields. A young mother kept a firm hold on her baby while her daughter held onto her hand and waved to the car that drove passed. A small smile touched his lips as he watched the family fade away. His sister had been watching the family as well with a gentle smile of her own and her gaze caught the small smile that adorned her brother's face. Her smile grew at the sight and Arpegius noticed. "What?" He asked as he looked at her.

Stella laughed softly as she looked away and shook her head. "Nothing…" She replied, her delicate fingers gently running over and over the triangular computer. "It's just nice to see you smile like that…" She left it at that, a part of her wondering what her brother had been thinking of. Her thoughts drifted as the road they drove on wove its way over a bridge, the sight of beautiful waterfalls greeting them. This place was beautiful and Stella wondered what their planet had been like. Shep had shown her the moments before he passed away, he had taken her on a wonderful dance through his world, their world. It had felt so real… but she could not remember anything of it on her own. It felt familiar and she couldn't help but think if she would ever remember what their lives had been before.

The hours passed and the scenery changed from one landscape to another. With Anisse sleeping, Arpegius only followed the road that she had led them on and hoped it would end up somewhere. The road passed a small forest that lined the base of some small hills. Stella reached out to place a hand on her brother's shoulder and pointed to a small turn off that led into the forest. "Let's take this road…" She looked at her brother and gave a small nod. "Please Arpegius…"

His brown eyes glanced into the rear view mirror, where he caught sight of Anisse still sleeping against Octave's shoulder. He looked at his sister and nodded before he slowed down and turned onto the small dirt road that led into the forest. The road was bumpy and the grey minivan bounced around for a few minutes as the canopy blocked the sunlight from above. The forest was thick but a clearing up ahead revealed that the road continued on toward the small hills that dotted the land.

"Look there." Baryl had moved up to the space between the front seats and pointed at a large tree that dominated one of the small hills, a field of what looked like white flowers blanketing around the edge. "That looks like good place…" He sat back and rubbed his nose, a light frown playing across his features.

The minivan made its way off the dirt road and onto the smooth, green grass as it climbed up the small hill toward the large tree. The wheel hit a dip in the grass at that moment and Anisse had slipped from the pillow that had been Octave and back against the seat. A low groan escaped her as she started to finally wake up, a hand reaching up to rest against her forehead. She opened her eyes and looked around, a large red patch on her cheek from where she had been laying against Octave's shoulder for so long. "Where are we?" She asked just before a large yawn took her.

Octave smiled at the sight of the red patch on her cheek. "We found a quiet spot…" He replied as the car crawled to a stop near the tree. Anisse looked out the window to the large tree on the hill and the white flowers that rested a few feet away. The sky was a deep blue and filled with white clouds that drifted lazily on the wind. She followed the others as they got out of the car and she looked around, a breeze reaching out to play with her dark hair. A sad smile played on her lips as she looked at the others and nodded. "It's perfect…"

--

Anisse had used the computer on her wrist to replicate a few shovels. The guys had taken the shovels and went to work on digging a grave. The ground was blessedly soft as the broke through the grass and started to toss back piles of deep, brown earth. Anisse turned away from the sight of them digging and went to follow Stella, who had gone to kneel beside the bed of white flowers.

Sunlight streamed down through the clouds and onto the flowers, giving them an angelic appearance. Anisse kneeled down beside the other woman and sighed softly. "It's so pretty here… he would have liked it."

"Do you think so?" Stella asked, reaching down to pluck one of the white flowers and holding it close to sniff. Its aroma was faint but sweet and she closed her eyes, Shep's smiling face filling her thoughts. "Neesy, tell me, please. What was he like?" She opened her eyes and looked at the woman beside her, who was fiddling with the white bracelet on her arm. "I wish I could have known him before…" She trailed off and tried to hold back the tears.

Anisse wasn't surprised by the question and she wished she had Shep's ability to share her memories. All she had were her words and at the moment, it seemed it would have to be enough. "Shep was a wonderful person, one of the most incredible people I would ever know and not just because he was from another planet." She smiled as she settled herself more comfortably on the grass and turned her head to face Stella. "He was kind and selfless; he didn't hesitate to go after you the moment you guys had been kidnapped. You were his favorite band but it was especially because of you Stella. You should have seen the look on his face whenever he spoke about you…"

Anisse talked on about Shep to the other woman, talked about everything she could recall from the moment she had met him. Stella listened with a sad smile, her hands caressing the white flower. The hours slowly passed as the sun began to dip toward the west. They talked back and forth about the hero who had risked everything for his favorite band and for the woman he had loved beyond knowing. While the sun sank down into the distant horizon, Arpegius walked over to where his sister and the woman who had flitted in and out of his thoughts for most of the day, sat beside the flowers in deep conversation.

Anisse was blushing deeply as she leaned into murmur something to his sister, who had a confused smile on her face. Stella asked something in turn and Anisse's response was a deeper blush and a shy glance away. As he walked closer he caught a few words of their conversation.

"… You're not sure exactly why you've been dreaming about him?"

"I just don't know what the dreams could possibly mean. It's been the same since the first day I met Shep, except now I can finally see his face. I dream about him every time I sleep and since we've talked, the dreams have become more intense. I just know it's because I'm f-."

Whatever she was going to say next didn't come; the words had managed to get lodged in her throat the moment she caught sight of Arpegius walking their way. She had turned a fierce shade of red and swallowed back the words she had been about to share with his sister. She gave a strained smile to him as he stopped in front of them and glanced between them with a curious look in his eyes. "Hey…" He glanced at his sister with a brow raised in question, she was giving him a funny look. "It's time…"

At those words, the funny reactions that both women had given at the sight of him turned to sadness. The red was slowly fading from Anisse's face as both women looked at each other. They sighed softly and slowly got to their feet. Arpegius reached out a hand to help his sister up to her feet and then to Anisse. The moment their hands clasped, warmth grew from the contact and they stared at one another much as they had the night before. She pulled her hand away from his and muttered a thank you. Arpegius didn't ask what it was that bothered her and he gave a nod before he went to the car.

Anisse watched him walk away and blinked in surprise when she felt Stella curl her arm around hers and start to pull her toward where Octave and Baryl were deep in the ground. "I think you shouldn't worry of it too much…" She had caught the curious look that had passed between her brother and Anisse. Even she could see that there was something there, exactly what she couldn't say but it was enough of an attraction to affect them both. "C'mon, let's go join the others…"

--

The moment Arpegius had returned with Shep in his arms, his body covered by the paint splattered cloak that Anisse had given him on the start of their journey; it was all she could do to keep from breaking down. Arpegius had walked carefully toward the grave and kneeled down to hand Shep's body over to Octave and Baryl, who stood waiting in the grave. They moved him carefully into the grave and adjusted his body so that it lay comfortably within the hole. The branches of the large tree swayed in the rising breeze, the shadows from the setting sun dancing across the ground. Octave and Baryl pulled themselves out of the grave while Stella went to kneel at the foot of it.

There was a moment of deep silence as they all stared down at the man who had risked it all to save the band that had meant the most to him. Anisse stood a little ways off behind Stella and she hugged herself against the chill that the wind brought with it. She watched as Stella closed her eyes and held the white flower close. "Shepardeus… Shep… there aren't any words that could express the gratitude that we have for all that you had done for us. You were our only friend, you brought us the truth of who we were and the hope that there is more to us, more to our lives, than what… those people… had made us into. Shep…" She trailed off as she began to cry and she threw the flower into the grave where it landed right above his heart. "Thank you for everything…"

Everyone turned their eyes as one to look at the only true human among them, the one person out of all of them who had gotten to know Shep the longest. Anisse swallowed the lump in her throat and took a step forward. She stared down at the flower over his heart and her tears fell, slipping slowly down her pale cheeks. She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "You were always so determined and so stubborn… you were kind and selfless… You were my only true friend…" She started to tremble from the ache that filled her whole being. "You had shown me a world that I never would have dreamed of in my wildest imagination… My life had been a meaningless grey before you staggered into it and filled it with brilliant color." A small laugh escaped as she opened her eyes and looked at the others. "Even though you're gone, I know in my heart you'll still be with me, with all of us…" A sob caught in her throat and she turned away from the grave, her tears spilling down to the grass below.

The guys felt as if everything had been said because they started to shovel and push the loose dirt into the grave. Slowly, the hold filled up and covered up the body of their friend. As the sun finally set and the first few stars began to wink to life, Anisse stared at the horizon and whispered a prayer to her parents, hoping that they would be there to greet her best friend. She felt a hand on her arm and she turned to find Stella watching her. She smiled at the bass player as the other woman reached out to hug her. Anisse welcomed the comfort as both women stared at the evening sky.

--

Night had descended upon them much sooner than anticipated. They had all decided to stay a little longer and they were gathered around the grave, holding each other's hands in respectful silence and prayer. Anisse was deep in her own thoughts, going over each and every memory she had of Shep, recalling the sound of his voice and the sight of his smile. She did not realize how tightly she was holding onto Arpegius' hand, even though how that came to be she could not say.

Arpegius was next to her on her left, his large hand enveloping hers while he held onto his sister's hand, who was kneeled on his left. She held on to Baryl's hand, who held onto Octave thus ending the horseshoe they had created around Shep's grave. Arpegius ran a broad thumb across the outside of Anisse's hand and she opened her eyes in surprise at the pleasant shiver that had run up her arm in response. She glanced up at him and caught him watching her, his brown eyes studying hers. His thumb ran across her hand again and he smiled gently at her, his eyes telling her that everything was going to be all right.

She studied him before slowly returning his smile, her hand squeezing in response to his caress. It was at that moment that numerous tiny balls of yellow light began to spiral up from the grave toward the sky. Everyone looked as the sight of white blossoms sprouted up from the grave and bloomed right before their eyes.

"Incredible…" Baryl whispered as the white flowers covered the entire grave. The spiraling balls of yellow light continued to fly toward the star filled sky just as a glowing figure emerged from the ground. Everyone quickly got to their feet as they stared at the spirit that was Shep, awe filling their every being. Anisse could only stare at this wonderful sight; it was her best friend, his spirit, floating there in front of them. He was so luminescent it almost hurt to look at him; it was hard to see any of the distinguishing features that he had in life. But Anisse knew that it was her friend as his spirit stared up at the sky and then back down at them. Her heart almost ached as she saw him move his arm across his chest, his fist against his left shoulder. It was his people's way of showing respect that much Anisse could recall.

She placed a hand over her mouth as her tears continued to fall as they all gave various gestures in goodbye. She saw Shep's head turn toward Stella, gazed at her for a moment and then toward her. She could have sworn she could see him smiling but it was so hard to tell. She raised a hand in farewell as she wiped away the few stray tears from her eyes.

Shep's spirit then stared up at the sky and flew up, his bright form turning to a light shade of red. He continued to fly up until he was completely out of sight and all that remained was a bright, pink star that twinkled in the sky. They stared at the star for a few moments and then Stella leaned down to pick a flower from the grave, a single ball of yellow light had remained on the petals. She stared at it as her tears fell and the single tiny ball of light spiraled up around her and then toward the sky.

Anisse watched the band as they stared at the sky and then she took a step back and made her way back to the minivan. They all turned to watch her leave and then Octave sadly shook his head. "I can only imagine how Neesy must be feeling right now… she knew him the best of all of us, it must be tough to have to say goodbye."

Arpegius reached into his pocket, where Anisse's charm bracelet had remained for what felt like a lifetime. He watched her as she leaned up against the back of the minivan and stared up at the sky, the sadness quite clear on her face. "I'll go and talk to her, make sure she's ok." He looked at Octave and Baryl, who each gave a nod and then he reached down to place a hand on his sister's shoulder. Stella looked up from the flower she held and smiled sadly at her brother. He returned her smile before he slowly made his way over to the car. He kept his hand in his pocket as he moved toward her and slowly leaned up against the car beside her. "Hey…"

Anisse kept her grey eyes on the stars above but she was keenly aware of the guitarist that was next to her. A soft smile touched her lips while her gaze searched the sky above for signs of… something. "Hi…"

Arpegius glanced at her then up at the sky. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly…" She looked at him and laughed softly. "I miss him already Arpegius, but I know I'll be all right." She sighed and stared down at her boots, a light frown touching her face. "I'm more concerned of what we should do now. We still have no clue as to what those people had done to all of your memories, what they had done to you physically to make you look human and, more importantly, how to get you guys back home…" She ran a hand over her face and let out a small groan. "Shep's spaceship is still crashed in the hills beyond my cabin and we never discussed how we were going to fix it. It's just so much to try and figure out."

She paused when she felt a large hand reach out to take hers and a faint blush rose up in response as she stared up at the guitarist. He was smiling gently down at her as his broad thumb ran across her palm, his dark brown hair falling casually over his brow. "Don't think about it too much… we'll get to that road when we get to it. It'll work out, I believe it will." His smile deepened and Anisse felt her heart thump hard against her chest, he was terribly handsome and the fact that they were so close was not lost on her.

Arpegius did not release her hand as he reached into his pocket and pulled out something clutched in his fist. "I've been meaning to give this back to you… It's actually brought me a lot of comfort and I'm a little depressed that I have to part with it but…" He opened his hand to reveal her silver charm bracelet resting comfortably against his palm.

She gasped in surprise, her eyes growing wide. "My bracelet! I thought I'd lost it…" She trailed off as she reached out to take it from him. She turned it over with her free hand, fingering each charm with love as she shook her head. It was so warm from his touch; she couldn't believe that he had had it all this time. She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm so glad that you found it, it belonged to my mother." She glanced at it as she held the bracelet up, the charms clinking lightly against each other.

"I figured it meant something to you… there was something about it, something that always felt almost magical whenever I touched it. The moment I touched it and I saw you, something just seemed to click…" He smiled at the sight of her blush and he squeezed her hand that he had still been holding the entire time they had spoken.

Anisse stared thoughtfully at the bracelet and then at the man beside her who held her hand with such comfort. The sight of the silver heart charm dangling between them made her heart flutter and she laughed softly. "Well then…" She held the bracelet out to him, her smile growing. "Could you do me a favor and hold onto it for me? I'm afraid I'll lose it again."

Arpegius blinked in response before he released her hand and took the bracelet. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, she had never felt surer of anything and besides, it felt right that he should keep it. He stared at it then slipped it back in his pocket, where it settled as if it had always belonged there. "Thanks Neesy…"

They stared at one another for a heartbeat before he reached up run his callused fingers along her cheek and down her jaw line. She blushed at once but she did not pull away from him. She leaned closer to him as his fingers lightly cupped her chin, tilting her face up…

"Are you guys ready?" The sound of Baryl's voice from the other side of the car made them pull away from each other at once. They stared at one another then looked away, both blushing deeply at close they had been.

"Yeah, we're ready." Arpegius called out as he pushed up from the car and glanced at Anisse. He smiled softly at her and reached out to brush the hair from her eyes. "C'mon, let's go."

She didn't hesitate as she took the hand he offered to her and got to her feet. Wherever the road was planning to take them from here on out, it was as Arpegius had said, they would just have to follow it to find out…


	15. Chapter 15

(A/n) It's been two weeks since the last update so here is another long chapter. It took me three days to get it together because I didn't have much time to sit down and write. Ah well enjoy.

To Sarah: I have watched Maetel :) But I have no idea how to get a romance story out of it. XD Help please?

To pcd369: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I could write a separate story for Arpegius and Anisse if you like. :) It'll have to be after this one is finished though. Thanks for reviewing and alerting!

To reikat: That is so awesome! I'm glad you have such a wonderful imagination! I love this movie a lot. Thank you for reviewing and alerting! It means so much!

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Chapter 15

By the time they were driving away from the tree on the hill, through the small forest and back onto the road, it was late in the evening. Everyone felt drained and tired but only Octave and Baryl had fallen asleep. Anisse was wide awake, staring out the window as the car made its way over a man made land bridge that crossed a lake. Stella was staring out of her own window, watching the star filled sky with longing. Arpegius was behind the wheel, his brown eyes watching the road ahead. Occasionally, he would glance in the rearview mirror, watching Anisse's reflection.

She hadn't said much since they had started back on the road. She simply glanced at the map that she had packed away with the rest of her few belongings and started to give directions toward the nearest town of Ridell. She had somewhat of a plan put together and explained to everyone that they would check into a hotel for the night to rest and then make the journey in the morning back to her cabin. They could relax at her place and since Shep's ship was still crashed in the hills there, they might be able to find something in his ship that could help on their quest to get their memories back. It was a long shot but it was better than no plan at all. None of the others voiced any objection to the plan; they trusted that Anisse would be able to help them. She was the only true friend that they had at the moment.

Arpegius glanced in the rearview mirror again but this time he found that Anisse was watching him as well. Their eyes met for a heartbeat and then he smiled at her. Her blush was instant but she returned the smile, her eyes sparkling from some emotion that he could not name.

"Arpegius, wait! Go Back!"

The sound of Stella's voice startled her brother and he slammed his foot down on the brake pedal. The car skidded to a stop, the tires screeching in protest against the asphalt. The result of the sudden stop made the passengers in the back to fly forward and ram against the front seats. Arpegius felt the thump and looked back to find that Anisse had practically head butted the seat. Octave was sprawled in the space between the front seats and Baryl had his face smothered in Stella's seat.

Everyone groaned as they peeled themselves from the upholstery and rubbed their faces. Arpegius threw the car into reverse and backed up along the deserted road. He caught Anisse's eye and gave a lop-sided smile. "Sorry about that, is everyone ok?"

The guys only groaned in response to the rather rude awakening they had received and Anisse had leaned forward to gaze out the windshield. Her hand had rested on Arpegius' bare arm as he stopped the car; she was pointing to something outside. "What's on that sign?"

Arpegius had felt a pleasant shiver from the contact, her hand was so warm. Unfortunately, much to his dismay, she had let him go as she leaned further out to get a better look at the sign. Stella glanced her way then looked out the window as well to read the highway sign that stated:

Ridell- 60km

Darkwood- 120km

"I've seen that before…" Stella muttered thoughtfully as she tried to think back on where she might have seen something that had read Darkwood. She wracked her brain until she recalled the very moment and a small gasp escaped. The others looked at her as she reached down into her shirt and pulled out a small, white card. She flipped it over to read the red lettering on the front that stated Darkwood Manor.

"Where did you get that?" Arpegius asked as he eyed the white card with interest.

"The manager had dropped it just before we had left for that award show…" She replied as she studied the time and date on the card. It read 5/05 5:55, it looked like it was a reminder for a meeting of some kind. "I thought it might have been important so I took it, just in case."

Anisse looked at the card then checked the digital display on the car's stereo. Oddly enough, today happened to be May fifth but what about the time? It didn't say am or pm… Perhaps it didn't really matter. It was a long shot but if this place happened to be the home of that old manager, they just might be able to find something there that could help them. Hopefully the old coot wouldn't be around…

She was about to open her mouth to suggest that they follow the road that led to Darkwood when all of a sudden the computer on her wrist let out a beep and her blue shades materialized over her eyes. At the same time, Shep's triangular computer, which had been resting in the open glove box, blinked to life with a gentle pink light and started to display a map of the area they were in. Anisse had the same map displayed on the inside of her shades; it was showing their current location then glided over an area that was filled with a forest and a few mountains. There, on the top of one of the mountains, the target settled on where Darkwood Manor was located. Shep's computer displayed the lettering for Darkwood Manor first in his language and then in Anisse's language; the others were leaning forward to read the data as it scrolled across the small screen.

Anisse's computer was picking up a very strong power source emanating from the area and her heart slammed against her chest. This was it. This was where they needed to go. Everyone looked at each other and then at her. She looked at each of them in turn before her eyes rested on Arpegius and she gave a firm nod. "Let's go."

It was all that Arpegius needed to hear and he flashed a grin her way before shifting the car into drive. They sped off down the road until they reached the turn off and hung a right. They drove on toward Darkwood, a buzz of excitement and dread filling every one of them. Off in the distance, the mountains rose before them, a very faint but sinister glow could be seen against the horizon. Beside that, a light red star twinkled more brightly among the others, following the minivan as it made its journey into unknown territory.

--

The paved road gave way to old gravel as they drove through the forest that surrounded the mountain. The closer they got to Darkwood, the more terrible the landscape became. The trees themselves were twisted and malnourished, the gaping holes in their trunks giving them the appearance of faces contorted in pain and anguish. As they passed an old wooden sign that pointed the way to Darkwood, the road began to climb upwards and snow fell softly against the windshield. The road became more slippery as they went and the grey minivan swerved from side to side, the tires trying to find their grip. The headlights pierced the darkness ahead to reveal that the snow covered everything. Anisse was astounded by the fact that it was snowing at this time of year despite the altitude.

The road continued to climb until it began to wind around the mountain, the sight of a large building appearing and disappearing with each turn. Large dark clouds surrounded the mountain, clouds that must have formed when they had been deep in that forest. The data that scrolled across her shades continued to lock in on Darkwood's location and the reading of the energy source was steadily growing higher the closer they got. Finally, the road ended and Arpegius stopped the car, shifting it into park. Everyone climbed out of the car and into the freezing cold; a streak of lightning pierced the dark clouds above. Lightning in a snow storm? That didn't feel right.

As Anisse stared up at the large building that resembled a twisted, otherworldly version of a medieval castle, it cast off an eerie, pink glow against the dark clouds above. She walked closer to Arpegius as she felt a shiver run through her, though not from the cold. This place reeked of evil, the power source that had shown up on her computer was reading off the charts. Whatever it was, it was in this castle and it was affecting the very weather in the area as well as the plant life.

"Should we go in?" Arpegius asked the others and she looked at them as Octave gave a firm nod to Arpegius.

"We've come this far." Octave replied, the snowflakes catching n his curling, dark hair. A fierce wind blew and brought with it a blast of cold that bit right down to the bone. Everyone started to run along the slick, land bridge that led toward the castle. Anisse slipped once on the narrow bridge and caught the sight of the deep ravine below. She gasped in surprise but felt a strong hand grab hers and pull her back safely.

"Be careful Neesy." Arpegius said, his hold on her hand tightening as they continued to run toward the castle. She stumbled behind him but did not complain, the fact that he was holding her hand so close and had not let go made her heart flutter. Finally, they made it to the other side and stood at the large double doors of the castle. As they walked closer, Anisse noted that there were no doorknobs or hinges. It was just a solid mass of frozen wood.

"How should we get inside?" Baryl asked, looking at the others for any ideas. They all looked at one another before Arpegius released Anisse's hand and moved to the doors. He placed his large hands against the cold wood and started to push against it, hoping it would budge. He did this for a few moments before the others joined him in trying to push the doors open. Anisse watched them then focused on the doors themselves as a little target appeared on her shades and started to lock on four points of the doorway. They were locks, a series of locks that could only be opened with the right password. She glanced down at the computer on her wrist and started to type away at the buttons that surrounded the blue stone. The target settled on one lock and began to decode, after a minute it beeped and the lock disengaged. She let out a tiny squeal of excitement and thanked the stars that Shep had entrusted her with his technology. She continued to work on one of the other locks just as Shep's computer, which was nestled safely in Stella's arms, erupted with a gentle pink light. It began to decode the rest of the locks Anisse was not working on and then the locks disengaged with a beep.

The solid mass of the doors wavered while a strange series of alien words scrolled across the surface. As the doors gave off a deep pink glow, they completely disappeared and they were allowed entry into the castle. The result of which had the others stumbling forward in surprise, Baryl himself falling down the few steps into the castle and landing on his back with a grunt.

"How did they open?" Octave asked as he walked forward, Stella and Arpegius following behind him.

"It needed the right password to open them. It was just a matter of decoding the locks that were present in order to get the doors to unlock." Anisse replied, skipping down the stairs to stop beside Stella. She looked around the entranceway they were in, it was dark and foreboding.

"How did you know how to do that?" Stella asked her as she glanced down at Shep's triangular computer, which was focusing on something further in the castle.

"My computer reacted to the locks. There's something in here…" Anisse trailed off, her computer was picking up that power source again. It blinked and started to read off in which direction the source was coming from. "My computer is picking up a signal." She pointed in the direction the target was pointing on the monitor of her blue shades. "It's this way."

Anisse ran down a small hallway, following the blinking target on her shades that pointed the way toward where the power source was emanating from. The others followed after her, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls. They emerged in an even larger entrance hall, a grand staircase sweeping up toward the higher levels of the castle. Candelabras dotted the corners of the large room, currently unlit, as well as a large chandelier that was eerily swaying from a non-existent wind. This part of the castle was just as dark as the entranceway and everyone gazed around the high-ceilinged room. Compared to the outside, the inside of the castle looked very extravagant, even somewhat normal.

"Do you think anyone might be here?" Baryl asked as he turned around to gaze up at the chandelier. Octave had walked around the drummer, having noticed a pink glow coming from one of the doorways further ahead.

"Let's hope not…" Anisse replied, her fingers moving swiftly over the buttons of the white computer on her wrist. The blue stone was flashing with soft light as she scanned the surrounding area. The power source was coming from deep within the castle, no surprise there.

"Neesy, look at this." Stella called, her hands clutching Shep's computer close to her chest. Anisse glanced up and walked over to where Stella stood beside her brother. The siblings were staring up at a portrait that was on the wall above the landing of the staircase. What made it interesting was that it was not a painting but a carving of a man that looked uncannily like the old manager.

"Is this the manager?" Arpegius muttered then glanced over at Anisse, who had stopped on his other side. She shook her head as she studied the portrait, her computer was scanning it but did not find anything out of the ordinary about it. "No, it must be one of his ancestors. His clothing looks to be from around the 16th century. The manager is old but he can't be that old."

"Hey you guys!" Octave's voice echoed off the walls as a pink light spilled out into the room. They looked to find that the vocalist had opened a door that led to a corridor further into the castle. Baryl was beside him, eyeing the strange glow that came from the hallway with obvious suspicion. "Let's keep moving. We can't keep standing around here."

Anisse had to admit that he was right and she followed Arpegius and Stella, who had went to chase after the drummer and the vocalist. The corridor they found themselves in was an intricate passageway filled with decorated arches and various carvings that covered the walls. The pink light that they had seen didn't seem to have a source and the moment they followed the corridor, it faded behind them so that they were in semi darkness once again. They stopped at an intersection with two corridors leading off into opposite directions.

"Which way should we go?" Stella whispered as she held Shep's computer closer against her chest.

Anisse read the data that scrolled across her shades and the target blinked, picking up a different, faint energy source coming from another part of the castle. Curious, she looked up the corridor that had another faint pink light glowing in the distance. "Let's go this way." She said, pointing to the corridor on the left.

Baryl looked at the others then started to run up the corridor, his long brown hair flying behind him. Arpegius glanced down at Anisse and took her by the hand. "C'mon…" He said then glanced back at Octave and gave a firm nod. He ran up the corridor, Anisse trying to keep up with his long strides. Stella was behind them and Octave took up the rear, glancing back occasionally to make sure no one was around to catch sight of them.

As they ran up the corridor, the target on Anisse's shades blinked and took off to the left of her view. She stopped, pulling Arpegius to a stop beside her and pointed toward a staircase that spiraled up toward the upper floors. "This way." She muttered as she glanced up at him, her grey eyes studying his. She might have been imagining it but his eyes looked even lighter, they were more azure now than brown. Was he changing back?

Arpegius looked toward the staircase and then back at the woman beside him. His hand gave hers a gentle squeeze and he looked at the rest of his band mates, who had stopped beside them, watching the two of them. "This way you guys." He said then turned and started to run up the staircase, his hold on Anisse's hand firm as he pulled her along. The others followed up the stairs behind them, their footsteps echoing off of the walls as they climbed what was obviously one of the towers of the castle.

They reached the landing and followed a small hallway that was also filled with gentle pink light. There was a single doorway in this hall and they ran through it and into darkness. Octave glanced behind them to make sure no unexpected people might be following them then ran to catch up with the others. The doorway had deposited them to a covered walkway that ran between this tower and the next one. The walkway was open to the elements with large archways on either side. Lightning pierced the sky and the dark clouds swirled around the castle, sending a shiver of unease through Anisse.

In the next tower, there was another open doorway, the same light that had been following them throughout their journey through the building, spilled from there. The faint energy source was coming here and the target on Anisse's shades focused on the doorway. She glanced at the others and nodded, confirming this was where they needed to go. They ran across the walkway as quickly as they could, lightning flashed again and made Anisse gasp in surprise. She felt Arpegius' hand tighten on hers as he glanced back at her to make sure she was all right. She gave a nod as she kept her grip on his hand, finding his warmth to be all the encouragement that she needed.

They entered the other tower and descended the stairs back down to the ground floor. The castle was strangely empty and Anisse wondered where the occupants could be. Surely a building this large wasn't completely empty of people? Then again, it was a blessed thing that they had not run into anyone. The staircase spiraled down and down until they finally reached the ground floor. Baryl ran ahead of the others, Arpegius close behind him with Anisse in hand, followed by Stella and Octave. They followed this corridor until the target on Anisse's shades blinked and picked up the faint energy source coming from their left once again. "Hold on." She called out as she pulled Arpegius to a stop and looked to find a large doorway, one of the doors were open and the room beyond it was dark. She pulled Arpegius by the hand toward the doorway, the target on her shades was blinking rapidly, which could only mean the faint energy source was in this room.

"What are we looking for?" Octave asked as he followed everyone into the dark room. There was nothing remarkable about this room; it was only filled with a few end tables and art pieces. Anisse released the guitarist's hand and her fingers were dancing over the buttons on her computer, trying to pick up the source of the faint energy. It was in here somewhere and the target bounced around the room, trying to locate whatever it was that was giving off the energy. "Give me a minute I'll see if I can find it. Whatever it is, my computer has been picking up on it since we got here."

"It's a little too dark in here to find anything." Baryl said as he walked over to a little lamp with a purple shade that was resting on a desk against the wall. He reached out to pull the chain but instead of any light there was a huge rumble and the wall beside the desk slowly slid open to reveal a faintly lit hallway that led to a large library. The target on Anisse's shades focused on the hallway and beeped. "Well, it should be in there." She said in a dazed voice. This was getting more unsettling by the moment.

Anisse followed the band as they entered the library. Shelves upon shelves of books filled the walls all the way up to the ceiling. There was a globe off to one side of the room and other various instruments that Anisse could not recall the names of. In the very center of this library, beneath a stream of light, a wooden table stood with a large book on display. Anisse frowned in confusion as whatever the faint energy source that her computer had been reading had suddenly disappeared from sight. The only thing she was getting now was the very strong power source that was somewhere deep beneath the castle. What had that been?

"What is this book?" Stella asked as she walked up to the wooden table and stared at the title of the book. Anisse went to stand beside Arpegius, who was looking over his sister's shoulder to get a better look at the book. Everyone had gathered around the bass guitarist to look at the book, the title of which read "Veridis Quo." It was a very old, leather bound book that was the size and thickness of a very large Bible. Stella reached out to open the cover and the first page was a drawing of the very same portrait from the entrance hall. It was the man who looked like the old manager and written above the drawing in elegant script was the name "Earl de Darkwood."

"An earl?" Anisse broke the silence as she leaned closer to get a better look. Stella turned the page and another drawing filled the page. It was of the Earl, in a room surrounded by bottles and potions, a small cauldron burned over a fire as it billowed out purple smoke. Beside the Earl, a small boy stood, clutching the man's clothing as he watched his father dabble in whatever experiments he was working on. Stella turned another page and this time there was writing.

_May 5, 1555_

_I will never forget this day for as long as I shall live. This was the day that the Gold Star fell from the sky and destroyed everything. My mother… my father… my entire home… everything was gone. Only I had survived, standing there among the rubble that was my father's manor. I had gazed out over the bodies of my mother and father and felt as if my heart had been torn in two. I was but a child at the time… Mother… Father… How I miss you so…_

"It's a journal…" Stella whispered as she turned the page to the next entry.

_September 5, 1575_

_It has been twenty years since that fateful day the Gold Star had fallen. Oh the wonders of that beautiful celestial body! I have kept myself from the rest of society for all these years. Everyone believes that I had perished along with my mother and father. I had survived its destruction because it had protected me. This star has such strange powers… the way that it glows, so constant and sure… I must study it more…_

_March 5, 1655_

_The Gold Star is a fallen god…The knowledge and power that it has bestowed upon me… I live far beyond that of any normal man for it has granted me immortality. I am the Chosen One, it has called me such. The Fallen One must be awakened again, it must be brought back to its former glory. I will help it; I will make sure that it receives the energy that it needs in order to rise again…_

_June 5, 1725_

_The knowledge that I have gained from the Fallen One is beyond that of anything this mere world known as Earth has ever seen. I know now that Man is nothing more than a speck of dirt within the vast expanse that is this Universe. There are others who have joined me in the quest to raise the Fallen One. Our god will be resurrected, the knowledge that it has shared with me has taken me beyond the stars. Soon, all will be as it should…_

_July 5 1726_

_The First Sacrifice has been achieved. With the knowledge that I have gained from the Fallen One, I have managed to create a magical craft that has taken us beyond this world and toward the stars. It was a small world but the music that this Sacrifice had created was sublime. I had taken this one to be the first; for it was the energy that his music brought forth that was needed to help bring back our god. With the knowledge, I had created machines like nothing Man has ever seen. I will use these tools to search the Universe to find the music needed to summon the energy to awaken our sleeping god…_

The journal entries continued in this way, speaking of some fallen god and sacrifices. The journal went on through the years, telling of each and every sacrifice that had been made in order to get this "fallen god" to awaken again. Every single sacrifice had been an alien from another world, another galaxy, which played music that stirred the very souls of those who listened to it. They had, like the Crescendolls, had their memories wiped, their appearances changed and mind controls devices placed on them so that they only could obey this man, the next Earl de Darkwood. Every single one of them had been sacrificed once their music had reached the point of achieving a Gold Record, which was made in order to gather all of the energies needed for this so called god.

As Stella turned the pages, Anisse gasped in fright as she saw a few names she recognized. They had been the best musicians of their time and once they had reached the peak of their careers, they had disappeared from the limelight. No one knew exactly what had happened to these musicians, most thought that they had retired to live a quiet life. The truth was that they all had been aliens, people who had lived and dreamed and hoped, and had been taken from their homes to never return again. All because of this man who was in fact the old manager. Whatever this fallen god was, it was pure evil, and it had twisted the mind of a young boy and made him into an immortal mad man.

The next page of the journal depicted the turn of events yet to come. With the 5,555 Sacrifice, the Fallen One would rise to power and the conquest of the Universe would begin. The Crescendolls had been the final Golden Record needed to unleash the evil being and the last sacrifice needed in order to bring it to power. Anisse shook her head fiercely as she reached out to grab Arpegius' hand, her fingers intertwining with his, and she pulled him close. "No, no I won't let him hurt you, any of you." She hissed as she glared at the book then looked up at Arpgeius.

He looked down at the woman who held his hand tightly, the look in her grey eyes revealing the deep affection that she had held for all of them but especially for the guitarist. Arpegius felt his heart soar at the sight of it, he had seen it before in her eyes but had not realized what it had been until now. He opened his mouth to say something but a red light caught his eye. "Tch…" He moved in front of Stella and pulled Anisse behind him, shielding the two women just as two men stepped out of the shadows of the dimly lit hallway.

Octave and Baryl moved closer to Arpgeius as the lasers of the two men's guns wavered slightly in front of them. They were the same two guards from before now clothed in what looked like brown ceremonial robes. They did not say a word as they stepped forward and motioned for everyone to move. Anisse looked at the Stella as her heart began to pound. The other woman was holding Shep's computer protectively and she looked at Anisse, her light brown eyes revealing her worry. This was not good…

--

The two guards had taken them down through the endless corridors and hallways to a cavern, deep beneath the castle. With the guns at their backs, the group had no choice but to keep walking. The bigger guard had taken the triangular computer from Stella while the smaller one held the large book. Anisse trailed behind the band as the gun of the smaller guard was pressed against the small of her back. Though they didn't say anything, they were well aware of the damage that Anisse could cause with her computer. They made sure that she didn't have a chance of even trying anything funny. Arpegius was glaring back at the small guard, his fists clenched tightly at the sight of the gun against Anisse. She caught his eye and gave a tiny shake of her head. Not yet…

As they followed the passageway through the cold cavern, the sound of voices chanting in some strange language caught their ears. The closer they got, the louder the chanting became until they found themselves in a large room. Everyone stopped in surprise at the sight that greeted them; there were a large group of people kneeled on the floor of the cavern. Every one of them was dressed in brown robes and swaying back and forth as their voices droned on and on. At the forefront of this group, another person dressed in purple robes was kneeled in front of a large pedestal. Floating upon this pedestal, pulsing with bright, gold light, was a mass of energy that Anisse's computer had picked up on the very moment they had stepped into the castle. So this was the Fallen One, the evil being that had caused so much damage to so many lives…

The person in purple robes held out their hands and threw their head back as the chanting became louder. The hood of the robes fell away, revealing a head of long, grey hair. The Earl de Darkwood's voice rose up among the chanting, calling upon his god. The band gasped in surprise as they caught the sight of what lay behind the pedestal. Imbedded in the walls of the cave were hundreds of golden records, each of them glowing with strange power. As the manager rose up on his feet, his hand held high, the pedestal began to rise, revealing a metallic pillar that was imbedded with even more records. It continued to rise until a hollow space vaguely resembling the shape of a humanoid was revealed in the pillar, orange-red light spilling from it.

The Earl was grinning, his face filled with madness as he turned and looked at the band. "The time has come! Bring the Final Sacrifice!"

The smaller guard stepped around Anisse and pointed his gun at Stella; his grip on the book was firm. Anisse gasped and moved to take a step forward, but the larger guard moved in her way. He pressed the gun against her forehead before pushing her back with rest of the group. She stumbled back and landed against Octave, who reached out to catch her before setting her to her feet again. Anisse clenched her fists as she tried to run forward again but a hand reached out to grip her wrist. She looked at Baryl in surprise as he stared up at her and shook his head. "Don't…"

"That mad man is going to kill her if we don't do something." She whispered fiercely and looked at the others. Octave was keeping a firm hold on Arpegius, who looked as if he was going to kill every single one of those fanatics for even touching his sister. The large guard kept his gun trained on the group, his face was emotionless and his eyes were covered by the shades he wore. Was he even human?

There was a gasp from the front as the cult parted to let Stella through to reach the Earl. The old man reached out to grasp Stella by her neck and he picked her up with inhuman strength. She gasped for air as she tried to break free from his grip. The Earl laughed as he studied her. "You are perfect, the last Sacrifice needed. You shall be the vessel of our god, the body of the Fallen One…" His smile faded and he glared up at her. "The time has come… after all of these years…"

With that, he turned and walked toward the pillar and thrust Stella into the glowing space in the pillar. Her scream filled the cavern as the pillar began to suck the life energy from her body. Anisse cried out as she and Arpegius tried to get to her but Octave and Baryl held them back. After a moment, her screams died down and all that could be heard was the chanting of the cult while Stella's body twitched in protest to the machine that held her. The Earl opened the large book and started to read from it, his fingers running over and over the page as his voice carried over the chanting. The book began to glow brightly as the Earl continued to read in whatever language he knew. The brighter the book got, the fiercer the chanting became until finally he dropped the book and held his hands up. A gold record fell into his hands, the last record needed and Stella's screams rose up once again.

The pillar was absorbing her, slowing taking her in as the chanting grew louder. The large guard was watching the entire scene; his gun had lowered slightly in all that was going on. Anisse noticed and, without thinking, ran up to slap the gun out of the guard's hand. It fell against the floor and skittered a few feet away just as the guard backhanded her with a nasty crack. Stars erupted in her vision as she stumbled and fell; her ears were ringing as she tried to get her eyes to focus. Man did that guy have a heavy hand, what was he made of, metal?

She struggled to her feet, finding that Octave and Baryl had taken the opportunity she had given them to grab hold of the guard's arms to keep him still. He was terribly strong as he lifted both men up from the ground, trying to shake them off. Arpegius had gone to grab the gun and aimed it at the guard and just as the guard managed to throw Octave off, Arpegius pulled the trigger. A white laser exploded from the barrel and slammed right through the guard's head. Anisse gasped but instead of blood and bits of skull and brain, the guard's head exploded with metal and shocks of electricity. It spun around on his neck twice and Baryl let go, grabbing Shep's computer as he did so. The guard seemed to be short circuiting and his body twitched with a sizzle and haze of smoke. He was just a robot, a very well made robot.

Anisse went to grab Baryl and drag him out of the way, just in case the robot exploded and she paused in surprise. The smaller guard had arrived at the sound of all the fighting and he ran with inhuman speed and leapt over the body of his now dead buddy. He pulled the trigger of his gun, which was aimed at her, and a white laser exploded from it just as Anisse held up her left arm in a vain attempt to protect herself. However, instead of feeling any sort of pain, a strange humming sound emerged from the white computer at her wrist. The laser had hit the blue stone and had been absorbed by it. It flashed once before a blue light erupted from it and fired straight at the small guard. The blue laser caught him right between the eyes and a large gaping hole revealed that he, too, was a robot. His body fell back against the body of the large guard and then down on the ground, only for the large guard to fall down after him.

Throughout the entire commotion, the members of the cult had gotten to their feet and tried to fight back the group as they struggled to get to Stella. Octave, Baryl and Anisse fought against the robed men as they punched and kicked. Two of the members had grabbed hold of Baryl only to be attacked by Anisse as she cracked them over the head with the butt of the gun Arpegius had dropped. While all of this was going on, Arpegius had managed to break through the mass of bodies and tackled the Earl down to the ground. The old man slammed to the floor, the result being that the last golden record escaped his grasp and fell over the edge of a deep ravine that surrounded the pedestal.

"Noooo!!!" The Earl cried out as he reached out in an attempt to grab the record. He reached out too far and lost his hold on the edge. Arpegius had grabbed hold of the old manager's robes with a grunt to keep him from falling. The old man was just too heavy and he thrashed against the guitarist's grip to try and go after the record. The cloth slipped from Arpegius' fingers and the Earl screamed as he fell down the dark ravine, the gold record tumbling down after him. He was swallowed up by the dark and his screams faded, a moment later a bright red glow erupted from the ravine and the ground began to rumble.

The cult members ceased at once in their struggles against the other three, staring around the entire cavern. Their voices rose up as one as they screamed, running to the edge of the ravine and throwing themselves over. Their screams faded as the ground began to shake and rumble even worse than before. Anisse was pulling Baryl to his feet and she looked over to the pillar to find that Arpegius was helping his sister out of the space.

"Stella?" Arpegius watched her carefully, his face etched with worry as he watched his sister.

"Ar…pegius…" She opened her eyes as she whispered her brother's name, her body was trembling badly from the lack of energy but she looked to be all right. Her brother smiled in relief just as the entire cave began to shake from the earthquake that struck. The red glow that came from the ravine grew even brighter.

"You guys, we have to get out of here now!!" Octave yelled over the noise as Anisse went to reach down to grab the Veridis Quo book from the ground. "This place is going to blow!!"

Arpegius carefully helped his sister across the small bridge that crossed the ravine back to the others just as a burst of red light and heat erupted all around them. They jumped out of the way of the blast and started to run back up the passageway that led to the castle. Everything was shaking and the ground began to crack beneath their very feet. Anisse cried out in surprise as her foot got caught in a deep crack that appeared beneath her. She tripped and fell, the book slamming hard against her chest but her hold on it remained firm. Damn it, how cliché was this?

She felt two pairs of hands grab her upper arms and she looked up to see that Octave and Baryl had went back to help her to her feet. She smiled gratefully at them as she got back on her feet and started running with them, being careful to avoid any sudden holes and cracks. As the group ran for their lives, Anisse prayed and prayed that they would have enough time to get out of the castle before it exploded. The entire foundation was shaking and her heart hammered within her chest as a burst of red-orange light erupted ahead of them. _Please, oh please, let us make it…_


	16. Chapter 16

(A/n) Lucky me!! I had time to write today and after writing the last chapter, I just had to keep going! Oh my, now that I think about it, I'm almost close to the end. Oh wow... :(

To Sarah: Sounds great! But who do you want the OC to fall in love with? :) There are A LOT of characters in this universe. XD

To reikat: So cool! I was listening to Veridis Quo as I was writing it. XD It really is an awesome song. Thank you so much for reviewing! ^.^

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Chapter 16

If you were to ask Anisse how they had made it out of the burning castle in one piece, she would say that she it was by a miracle. She could not recall exactly how she and the band had managed to race their way through the corridors of the castle. The moment that they had made it to the entrance hall, out through the doorway, over the land bridge and into the minivan, she was thanking the stars above for whatever guardian angel that had been guiding them through it all.

They all had piled into the minivan and sped off without a moment to spare. Anisse had glanced in the side mirror of the front passenger side, the castle was fading into the distance and a deep red glow filled the horizon while what appeared to be hundreds and hundreds of pink lights spiraled up toward the star-filled sky. Frowning thoughtfully, she turned her attention back to the large book that rested in her lap. It no longer glowed from whatever power it had been given but it still felt warm to the touch.

"How is she?" Arpegius spoke from behind the wheel, glancing in the rearview mirror to catch sight of his sister passed out behind him. Baryl was beside Stella, watching her closely as she slept. "I don't know… She's asleep right now so I guess that's a good sign…"

Octave was in the seat behind Anisse and was currently looking over her shoulder, reading the book as she flipped through the pages. There was a section in the book that gave a step by step written account of all that had been done to transform a being from another world to look like a human. Anisse skimmed over the pages, taking in the info as quickly as she could. The technology was incredible but she didn't want to think about how it had been used. All those lives lost…

"Neesy, what is that?" Octave spoke from behind her as he reached over her seat and pointed at the page she had turned to. Anisse studied the pages; they were an illustration of a humanoid with a strange device over its forehead. There were other smaller drawings and then some writing explaining how the device worked. Anisse focused on the next page, which was an illustration of a disk of some kind. In an elegant script above the drawing, it read "Memory Disk."

"This is what we've been looking for. This is what should be holding your real memories." Anisse replied as she looked at the page and then at the others. They looked at her in turn, the worry quite clear on their faces. Where could those disks be? Anisse continued to read through the book until she found a funny list written in the same elegant handwriting. It was the names of each and every person that had been taken from their world and the location of their particular memory disk. Her eyes skimming down the page, she read down the list, (which contained hundreds and hundreds of names) until she reached the very last entry.

"It's at Rocket Records…" She trailed off as she read off the names for the Crescendolls and where each of their disks was located. Apparently, the old Earl had taken their disks and placed them in safe box that was kept under a file at the Rocket Records Headquarters back in Center City. "We have to go back to Center City."

Arpegius glanced over at her, his eyes were now azure with little specks of brown. His face softened just a bit then he turned his eyes back on the road. They had just left the forest and were now on paved road. Arpegius turned the minivan back in the direction toward the city and pressed the car to go a little faster. After all, the quicker they got there, the quicker they would be able to get those disks back.

--

The journey back to Center City seemed a lot quicker than it had been when they had left. Anisse gave directions and in as little as four hours they were crossing the city line, the tall buildings rising above them. As they followed one of the main highways toward downtown, the building for Rocket Records came into view. It was the easiest to see since there were large, brightly lit signs displaying the record company's logo on each side of the building. It was still late at night so there was not a lot of traffic to clog up the streets.

Octave had handed Anisse the city of the map she had gotten from what felt like a lifetime ago. She opened it and started to give out the quickest route to the building. After about fifteen minutes, the car was driving by the front of a very quiet and nearly empty building. Arpegius slowed the car down as everyone gazed into the large, glass front doors of the Rocket Records Headquarters. There was someone sitting behind the security desk, watching whatever monitors were displayed there.

"Well, it looks like knocking on the front door is out of the question." Baryl said, peering closely at the sight of the guard just before Arpegius sped up and drove around the side of the building. He parked the minivan beside the large wall that surrounded the building and cut the engine off, the headlights shutting off and casting the alleyway into darkness. He looked at Anisse and gently shook his head, his dark brown hair dancing around his face. "How are we going to get those disks?"

Everyone was silent as they tried to come up with some idea. Anisse turned back to the book on her lap and flipped back to the illustration of the memory disk. Oddly enough, this seemed an even tougher adventure than the trek through the castle.

"I'll go in." Octave spoke, breaking the silence as his eyes flicked between Arpegius and Anisse. She never really noticed before but Octave's eyes were a very dark green, like the color of a pine tree. Had they always been that green? Maybe he was changing back as well… "I'll go in and get the disks. Neesy said that they would be in a safe box in the building, I can sneak my way through and get them."

Anisse bit down on her lower lip and looked at the guitarist behind the wheel. It was cutting it close but they all couldn't go breaking into the building at the same time. After a heartbeat, she shook her head. "It's too risky, what if you get caught?" She looked back down at the book and ripped the page of the memory disk off before flipping back to the list and ripping that page off. "I can go. If I get caught, you guys can still keep on going. You'll need to get to my cabin since Shep's ship is there, there's still a chance you can find something to help you get home."

"No." Arpegius had spoken and he reached out to grab her arm, his fingers gripping her firmly. "You've done enough…"

Anisse stared at the guitarist in surprise, noting the very fierce and protective look in his azure eyes. There was a tense silence as they looked at each other, Octave looked between the two of them and a knowing smile appeared on his lips. He reached out between them and took the pages from her slackened grip. "Arpegius is right. You've done more than enough Neesy." His smile grew at the bewildered expression on her face and he tucked the pages away in his jacket. "Let me handle this. I'll be back before you know it."

She opened her mouth to protest but Octave was out of the car before she could say anything. He slammed the door behind him, gave thumbs up and then hoisted himself on top of the car. The roof bent in front the sudden weight but popped back into place the moment he lifted himself over the wall. Anisse stared at the ceiling and then looked at the guitarist that still kept a firm hold on her arm. He noticed the funny look she gave him and immediately let go, his cheeks obviously red even in the faint darkness that surrounded them.

Baryl glanced between the two people up front, a dazed expression on his face. Those two… why didn't they just admit that they felt something for each other? It was so painful to watch. Taking in a breath, he shook his head and looked over at Stella, who slept peacefully with her head against the window. He studied her for a bit and sighed heavily, he hoped that Octave would be all right…

--

Octave ran across the dark lot, his heart was pounding a mile a minute and it seemed to thump even harder once he had reached the building. He looked in through the large windows, finding the security guard was immersed in whatever he was watching. He scooted over and looked in the next window; there was a man in a custodial uniform buffing the floors He wracked his brain, trying to figure out how to get inside when he noticed that one of the windows further down was slightly cracked open. Bingo. Octave smiled and ran toward the window, easing it open just enough so that he could slip through.

The custodian was humming to himself as he buffed away, not noticing the man that was sneaking up behind him. Octave reached out to throw his hand over the man's mouth and pulled him into the shadows. It took a few moments of wrestling with him but he managed to get the custodian tied up and gagged. He donned the custodian's uniform and ran out to the buffer without a moment to spare. A security guard had come waltzing out of one of the elevators. He passed a glance over to the custodian behind the buffer and pointed to the front of the building where the desk was. "Hey Rob! When you're done there, could you hit the lobby?" The custodian lifted a hand and waved while he moved the buffer over the floor. The guard waved back and walked off. "Great, thanks a lot!"

The moment the guard turned the corner, the custodian looked over his shoulder, making sure that the guard was gone. Satisfied, he left the buffer and ran over to one of the elevators. He hit the button and the doors barely slid open before he slipped through and thumbed the up button. As the doors closed, the custodian named Rob was inching his way across the floor, his voice muffled by the socks that had been crammed down his throat.

Somewhere above in one of the upper floors, Octave was peering in each door that he passed, trying to find the filing room that was indicated on the list Neesy had ripped from the book. After a few minutes, he finally found it and he looked up and down the hall before opening the door and slipping inside.

Flipping the switch, the sharp lighting from the fluorescent bulbs above filled the room. Octave walked down one of the aisles and then the next, reading the names of the files until he finally came upon one marked "The Crescondolls."

Opening the file, he found a single boxed record that bore the title "One More Time, Master Recording." Taking the box in hand, he flipped it over and pried the metal casing off the box. It opened to reveal the tape that had been used to record the song. He pulled it out, turned it over and then tossed it aside. He studied the box more carefully and shook it once, hearing a rattling from within. He eyed the inside of the case before he stuck his nails into the grooves and pulled the casing apart, revealing an inner compartment.

Four slim, white cases were lying in the casing, he pulled one out and it flipped open to reveal a single orange disk that looked like the one on the page. "Finally…" He whispered as he closed the white case. He took the others and slipped them into his pocket. Now he just had to get out of this place in one piece. He left the room, glanced up and down the hall before he closed the door behind him and ran to the elevator.

His heart drummed and his blood roared in his ears, the elevator finally reached the ground floor and he looked around as he stepped out into the hall. He edged his way toward a corridor and peered around the corner only to spot a security guard walking his way. Cursing silently, he moved away from the corner and turned to run in the opposite direction. Another security guard rounded the corner and Octave stopped in his tracks, scaring the daylights out of the older man, who had went to investigate the disturbance that he had seen on his monitor earlier. "Hold it!!"

Octave raised his hands to show that he was not armed, just as the guard from before ran around the other corner. "Easy guys." He said, looking between the two of them. Maybe if he explained why he was here… "I'm not armed. Here, I'm reaching into my pocket. I'll show you what I have…" He slipped his hand into his jacket, his fingers grasping the pages that had been folded in the inner pocket.

"No sudden moves!!" The old guard yelled and he pulled his tazer out from its holster. He reached out and pressed the tazer against Octave's side. The jolt that he received surged through him and he cried out, the pages from the book held tightly in his hand. It was only supposed to stun him but something had gone terribly wrong. He collapsed to the floor, his body convulsing as if he were having a seizure. He twitched and writhed from the pain that plucked his every nerve ending. What was happening to him?

"What's going on here?" Nate Conway, the CEO of Rocket Records, had just stepped off one of the elevators. He noticed the guards and then the man convulsing on the floor. His eyes grew wide behind his glasses as he recognized the man. "Wait… Octave? Octave, are you all right?"

He ran over to the vocalist's side and kneeled down to make sure he was not seriously hurt. However, as he kneeled, a funny choking sound erupted from Octave's throat and he blinked once and then twice. His olive skin was changing; it started at his face, where it turned lighter until it was a vivid shade of blue, and worked its way down to his hands and feet.

The guards gaped at the sight of the blue skinned man lying before them, their flashlights held loosely in their hands. Nate noticed the pieces of paper in Octave's hand and he took them, opening them to reveal the illustration of a memory disk. He stared at the page and then looked at the white cases that had fallen out of Octave's pocket. One was opened, revealing the orange disk within. He stared at the disk and then at Octave, whose skin was as blue as the sky above. He had no idea what to make of any of it… just what on earth was going on here?

--

"Why wouldn't you let me go?"

Arpegius kept his gaze firmly on the wheel; his heart was drumming as he tried to avoid looking at the dark haired woman beside him. His fingers tapped against the vinyl while he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Why had he not let Neesy go? She had been perfectly willing to go on ahead to get their memory disks. But if she had been caught… he didn't want to think of the possibility of not being able to see her again. He had promised Shep that he would always watch out for her but it was more than that. He knew it was.

From the very moment that she had, literally, been thrown into his life, everything had changed. Even now, he could recall those foggy moments in time when she had filled his waking thoughts and, in those fleeting moments of sleep, his dreams. His feelings for her were confusing at best but he could not deny that they were there. He felt something for this woman that went beyond anything that made sense.

"Arpegius?"

Her voice broke through his thoughts, her tongue dancing over every syllable. She had such a wonderful voice… He took in a shuddering breath and slowly shook his head. "I couldn't." He closed his eyes, not wanting to look at her though every part of him was trying to.

"What?" She watched him, her hands clasped tightly over the Veridis Quo book. She narrowed her eyes, those grey orbs studying every line and angle of his face. "What do you mean?

"I couldn't let you go." He hissed through gritted teeth. He opened his eyes and glanced over at her, a deep frown on his face. "I just couldn't." He stared out the window, his chest rising and falling with each breath that he took. "I didn't want anything bad to happen to you… You've done so much for us already Neesy."

She stared at him for a moment and then looked down at the large book in her lap. "So, you would let something bad happen to one of your own band mates …"

"No! No, that's not what I meant!" He looked at her and turned in his seat to face her. "I don't want anything bad to happen to them either."

"Then why wouldn't you let me go?" She asked again, tears were beginning to well in her eyes. "We've come this far in trying to get you all to remember who you had been, to try and get you back home. If Octave gets caught, if they find out that he is not human-."

"I know!" He growled and reached out to take her by the shoulders. He gave her a shake, his azure eyes revealing the fear that he felt. "I know..."

"Then why Arpegius?" Neesy was trembling beneath his touch, her eyes resembling liquid pools of silver. "Why would you let him go instead of me?"

Arpegius growled again as he looked away, his fingers curling into the suede of the red jacket she wore. It had been the same one she had worn the first day he had seen her. He shook his head, his dark brown hair falling forward to hide his eyes from view. "Because… Because I…"

"Arpegius-." She had opened her mouth to speak only to feel that his lips had captured hers. He had leaned forward in his seat, pulling her toward him as he kissed her. Her eyes were open in surprise while his were tightly closed. His lips caressed hers, surprisingly soft lips that were so warm. Her eyes had finally closed when she felt his hand cup her chin, tilting her head so that the kiss deepened.

Whatever reason that he had for not letting her go was explained through the kiss that he gave her now and he had to admit, it was a wonderful way to explain things. After a few aching heartbeats, Arpegius finally broke the kiss and stared at Neesy. Her cheeks were a very deep shade of red and her lips were still slightly parted. She seemed a little dazed at the moment and it took a few seconds before her eyes found his. A small smile touched his face and he reached up to run a broad thumb across her lower lip. "Is that a good enough reason…?"

Neesy blushed even deeper and could only stare at the guitarist. A shuffle from the back had them both looking to find that Baryl had propped his elbows on both front seats. A goofy smile was on his face as his long brown hair spilled over his shoulders. "It's about time. I was wondering how long you two were going to keep dancing around each other like that."

Arpegius laughed just a little at the sight of Neesy's mouth opening and closing as she tried to find her voice. Her mouth snapped closed and her grey eyes found his, a tiny smile beginning to lift at the corners of her lips. "I…"

Whatever she was going to say next was put on hold the moment that headlights erupted behind them. Everyone looked back to find the red and blue lights of police cars had filled the alley. Neesy gasped just as headlights spilled from the other end of the alley. Everyone looked at the cops that ran down the alley and surrounded the minivan, their guns drawn. Over the noise of the sirens, a cop boomed for them to slowly step out of the vehicle.

Arpegius glanced at the woman beside him and he could see how pale she had gone. Whatever had happened to Octave, he had been caught and now all hell was going to break loose. She grabbed his hand as she looked at him and swallowed. "It'll be all right… I won't let anything happen to any of you. I promise we'll get through this… no matter what it takes…" Her voice wavered at the end and Arpegius twined his fingers through hers, squeezing them gently. Despite how brave she was trying to be, even he had to admit, things were not looking good…

--

Meanwhile, deep in the bowels of the demolished castle, an evil and dark energy emerged from the ravine. It hovered above the ruins, its dark form twisting and changing before it swirled and took to the skies above. Further out it the distance, a pink star twinkled, watching the series of events that were about to transpire, a series of events that would change the lives of all involved like never before…


	17. Chapter 17

(A/n) This chapter made me cry for some reason. :( I don't know if it was because of the music I was listening to or the fact that I have like two or three more chapters to this story before it ends. I hate it when I reach the end… -=sniffs=-

To Sarah: I've been working on the OC for Maetel, she is slowly coming together. :)

To reikat: Ahh!! Thank you for the Fav!! That is awesome! -=blinks and runs=- AAAHHH!! Atomic Fan girl!! Run for your lives!!! XD

Special thank you so those who alerted!!

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Anisse is of my own creation. Warning: There is fluff in this chapter so for those with queasy stomachs please exit to the left.

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Chapter 17

Everything seemed to happen all at once; to Anisse it felt as if time had rushed through every moment that passed. She could barely recall getting out of the car with the others, though she did notice that Stella had awoken at some point and was standing with the rest of them, looking a little dazed. She remembered feeling Arpegius' hand grasping hers tightly and keeping her close beside him as some of the cops began to search her car and the other cops began to question them. It didn't take long for some of the men to recognize the missing band members of The Crescendolls and soon enough they were being escorted to the front doors of the record company's building.

There were cops everywhere and an ambulance was waiting in the front, a news crew was already on the scene, recording everything that went on. At the sight of the ambulance, Anisse's heart dropped. Did Octave get hurt somehow? Oh no… Arpegius had sensed her unease and his hand tightened over hers, his azure eyes watching the cops as they walked back and forth, placing yellow police tape around the scene. She moved closer to the guitarist and placed her other hand on his arm, her head rested against his shoulder. His presence was so warm and comforting and, despite how dire the situation was, the memory of his kiss played over and over her mind. It had been the most incredible feeling she had ever experienced in her life. Was this what it felt like to be in love?

She cast her grey eyes over to Stella, who stood beside her with her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes closed as if in prayer, Shep's triangular computer was held close against her heart. She looked a lot better than she had before though her body still trembled a little. Baryl was next to the bass guitarist, holding the Veridis Quo book under one arm. He glanced back when the glass doors of the building were thrown open and paramedics were rushing a stretcher across the pavement toward the waiting ambulance. "That's… that's Octave!" He cried out as the paramedics rushed passed them.

Indeed it was the vocalist, he was passed out on the stretcher and he was twitching beneath the blanket that had been draped over him. It was a terrible situation made worse because instead of olive skin, his true blue hue was revealed, the same tone of blue as Shep's had been. Whatever had happened to him to make his real skin tone to be revealed, it had done serious damage. Stella opened her eyes and a small cry emerged at the sight of her band mate in pain. As the doors to the ambulance closed behind them and the vehicle drove away, Anisse was growing more nervous by the minute. How were they going to explain this? How were they going to get through all of the trouble yet to come? The media was going to have a field day over this one. They were going to need more help…

"Arpegius? Stella? Baryl?" A voice spoke from behind the small group and everyone turned to look at a well dressed man with dirty blond hair. There was handsomeness to his face that was somewhat detracted by the wide rimmed glasses he wore. In his hand, he carried the two pages that Octave had been in possession of. He was looking at each of them, the confusion quite evident in his eyes before they settled on Anisse. He noticed at how close she stood beside the guitarist and noted their joined hands with interest. "It is you. I'm so glad, I've been worried about all of you." He paused and glanced down at the open page he held. "I'm sorry but, could you enlighten me as to where you all had gone? What has been happening?"

Anisse saw the kindness and concern in his eyes; this man had been honestly worried about The Crescendolls. Feeling that he might be their only hope, she took pulled away slightly from Arpegius and took in a small breath. "I'm sorry but who are you?"

The man blinked and gazed at Anisse, his eyes studying her before he gave a nod. "My name is Nate Conway. I am the vice president of Rocket Records. I have been personally overseeing The Crescendoll's music since they had arrived. And you are…?"

She went to release Arpegius' hand only to feel his fingers grow firm. She glanced up at him and smiled softly. "Trust me…" She whispered, loving the worry that she saw in his azure eyes. The muscle in his jaw twitched but he released her hand, casting his gaze over to the other man, the look that he gave clearly stating that he did not trust him.

Nate Conway stared at the guitarist in surprise, having never seen such emotion in Arpegius' face before. He turned his gaze to the dark haired woman that walked up to him, holding her hand out in greeting. "My name is Anisse Sterre. I'm a close friend of The Crescendolls." Her doubts were cast aside the moment that Nate Conway had taken her offered hand and shook it.

"It's a pleasure Ms. Sterre, considering the circumstances, but I must ask, where is their manager, Mr. Wood?" Nate noticed the dark look that had fallen over the young woman's face at the mention of the old manager and she released his hand. She glanced around at the sight of the police cars that were parked, the cops that walked around, and the detectives that spoke with the security guards. The news crews were already interviewing one of the security guards. She turned her attention back to him and gave the smallest of nods. "Is there a quiet place in which we can talk? Preferably away from the local law enforcement."

He studied Anisse then looked at the band members that stood behind her. He noted how tired they all looked, each of their faces displaying a variety of emotion that he never seen before. What was going on here? He folded the pages as he gave a nod and beckoned them all to follow. "This way, we can speak in my office."

Anisse released the breath she had been holding, her heart was fluttering beneath her breast. She hoped she was right about Mr. Conway; it would seem that he would be the band's only chance at getting through this in one piece. As Baryl and Stella went to follow the vice president into the building, she felt a familiar hand grabbing hers, their fingers intertwining. She glanced up at Arpegius and she felt the warmth in her cheeks even before a tiny smile came through. She leaned in against him as they followed the others into the building, taking in the selfish comfort that, in spite of everything that was going on, the man of her dreams was feeling very much the same way as her.

--

Nate Conway's office was located on the very top floor of the building and was a very large room that had an incredible view of the city. Arpegius had the feeling he had been in here before but the memory wasn't very clear. Mr. Conway had the doors to his office closed tightly, instructing the security guard outside to not let anyone from the media in and to call him the moment that law enforcement wished to question him. Arpegius could feel the woman beside him trembling with nerves, her hand clutching his as they stood in front of Mr. Conway's desk. He glanced over and caught his sister watching him. Stella was smiling softly and her eyes had moved down to the sight of his hand holding Neesy's. The heat rose up into his cheeks at that and he looked away.

Neesy had just finished telling the very long story of everything that had happened to The Crescendolls. Mr. Conway had listened quietly to her tale, occasionally nodding or frowning at a particular part. Listening to Neesy recount everyone's adventures from the very beginning was almost hard to take in. Arpegius wondered how she could speak so calmly and he found himself, and not for the first time, awed by the fact that she had done so much to help Shep in his quest to rescue them. Mr. Conway seemed just as awed but it was most likely because of their story than of her.

Nate Conway was actually finding the tale that this woman told to be a little hard too swallow. Had it not been because he had seen Octave's skin change color before his very eyes, he would have laughed out loud. The fact of the matter was this story that Ms. Sterre had just told him was the only logical explanation to everything that was going on. Add that and the fact that the memory disks that were lying on his desk, the Veridis Quo book that was beside those, were more than enough evidence to back up her story. He glanced up at the small group in standing in front of his desk and nodded softly to himself. "I must say, it is an incredible story and the only one that makes sense for a situation such as this."

He rose from his chair and walked around his desk, watching the others as he stopped beside them. "I only wish to say how sorry I am, to all of you." He looked at each of the band members and shook his head. "Had I but realized as to how you were truly being treated… that man had you all very well protected… I'm sorry. If there is anything I can do to make it up to all of you." His gaze settled on Neesy then and sighed heavily.

"Actually Mr. Conway, we do need your help." Neesy replied and she pointed to the disks on his desk with her free hand. "Arpegius, Stella, Octave and Baryl need to get their memories back and they need to get back home. We need to do everything we can to make sure that happens."

"But how can we?" Mr. Conway folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. "I can only imagine how the government is going to react to the fact that beings from another planet are walking among us and the media is going to turn this into a circus…not to mention how the their fans might handle it…" He trailed off as a light bulb seemed to go off in his head. "Their fans…" A small smile emerged as he looked at the band and then to the woman who held on to Arpegius' hand. "I won't lie to you… this is going to be a very long road we're going to travel but you're not going to be alone in this. Not anymore…"

A knock on the door interrupted Mr. Conway and everyone looked to find the security guard had opened the door a crack and held up a hand in apology. "I'm sorry sir but there are some gentlemen here that would like to speak with you. They are… um…" The guard trailed off and he scratched his head, tilting his hat back on his head. "Well, they would really like to speak with you… ah, what would you like us do?"

An uneasy silence greeted this question and everyone looked at each other, unsure of how to even answer. Mr. Conway took it in stride and he gave a nod to guard. "I will be out in a moment to speak with them." He turned his attention to the others and pointed to a doorway on one end of the room. "If you like, you can go into my private apartments and relax. You all have been through quite an ordeal. I will be back in few minutes."

"Thank you Mr. Conway." Neesy smiled gratefully at the vice president before he turned on his heel and left the office. The door closed behind him and Arpegius could feel Neesy relax with relief. She looked up at him with a smile and then turned to the others, her hand squeezing his. "I guess that's all that can be done for now…" Her voice wavered and she looked down at her feet. "I just hope that the people here will be kind and do all they can to help you." She brushed her fingers beneath her eyes, taking in a breath. "I hope Octave is all right…"

Arpegius could see the tears that spilled from her eyes and he released her hand to pull her against him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. He held her close as his eyes fell on his sister, her own eyes reflecting the same worry and fear he felt at this moment. They could only hope that Neesy would be right and the humans of this planet would be as kind as she had been toward their plight.

--

For the next week, they remained in Mr. Conway's private apartments in order to avoid the mass of press that were camped outside of the building. Anisse had to admit that Mr. Conway was an incredible man for dealing with all of the drama that was getting thrown their way. He took everything in stride and handled it as best as he could, considering all that was happening.

They had all found out the day after that the electric shock that Octave had received had been the trigger in counteracting the treatments he had to make him look human. As a result, the treatments had failed and his true self had been revealed but it also had done a number on his body. He was currently in a coma from the seizure that he had experienced. From what Anisse could understand, he was on life support and the staff had been keeping him a close eye on him. The hospital he had been brought to was located on the other side of the city, which meant that they had no way of going to visit him, even if they could.

In spite of the chaos that ensued, Anisse was finding herself becoming more aware of the fact that she had fallen in love with Arpegius. Perhaps it was because of the evening after Mr. Conway had explained of what had happened to Octave. He had left the small group alone in his apartments to attend to a press conference that had been scheduled. Stella had fallen asleep in one of the two bedrooms and Baryl had disappeared somewhere in the bathroom. Anisse had been sitting in the living room, watching the news as it recounted the events from the night before. She had turned it off in disgust, not wanting to be reminded of the fact that one of her friends was lying in a coma.

Arpegius had appeared from the kitchen with two cups of tea. He had walked around the couch and stood in front of her, offering her a steaming cup with a gentle smile. "Here, I thought you might like something warm."

She smiled gratefully as she took the cup, moving aside the string and taking a timid sip. "Mmm… chamomile…" She closed her eyes and braced the warm cup, taking in the warmth that it offered. "I missed this…" A small laugh escaped and she looked at the guitarist, who had taken a seat down beside her. "I remember when I had offered Shep green tea for the first time…" Her eyes twinkled as she stared down in her cup, recalling the look on Shep's face the moment he had taken his first sip.

"Did he like it?" Arpegius was smiling at her, watching the way her face just brightened as she laughed. He loved it when she laughed; her entire look changed the moment the laughter would start to bubble up.

She shook her head as she sipped her tea and her eyes still dancing with the laughter that wanted to emerge. "I have never seen anyone spit so far…" She replied, casting her grey orbs his way. As if on cue, she could feel herself blushing from the deep laugh that had erupted from him. She realized then that she never had heard him laugh before and sitting there beside him, she was very glad that she did.

He was still chuckling as he set his cup down on the glass coffee table, his dark brown hair spilling over his brow as it usually did. Without thinking, Anisse reached out and brushed the hair from his eyes. He stilled the moment her fingers trailed down his cheek and he looked at her, his azure eyes focused on hers.

She blushed even deeper and dropped her hand. "I'm sorry, I…"

He caught her hand and brought it up to his lips, flipping it over to kiss her palm. A small noise came from her throat that was a cross between a whimper and a moan. He smiled as he pulled her closer and reached out to hold her chin. "Don't be sorry…" He murmured and brushed his lips over the corners of hers. "Don't ever be sorry…" He then brushed his lips over hers ever so lightly. "Neesy, you have no idea how much… I don't know how to begin to explain…" He shook his head and moved up to press a firm kiss upon her brow. "Last night in the car, it was the best way I could tell you." He pulled back to gaze into her eyes and a faint smile appeared. "From the very first time I saw you, everything seemed to come alive. Even when I was under that mind control, I became more aware of who I was and where I was, every time I saw you in the crowd. That moment in the castle when you swore that you would never let anything happen to any of us… I saw something in your eyes and I knew right then… that _I_ couldn't let anything happen to you either..."

Anisse closed her eyes as a shuddering sigh slipped past her lips only to feel his cover them. This wasn't a fierce kiss as it had been last night, this was patient and tender. Her body was trembling from the mere sweetness of it and she leaned in closer, her arms gliding around his neck. His hold on her had grown more firm as his arms wrapped around her waist to bring her closer against him.

Oh it was the most wondrous kiss; the world had faded away completely. The only that seemed to exist was this moment and when she had parted her lips and felt his tongue delving to explore in such an intimate way, it was all she could do to keep from melting right there. She was sure something would have happened if the startled gasp from the other side of the room hadn't made them jump apart.

They both looked to find Stella standing in the small hallway that led to the bedrooms, a deep blush on her own face. The fact that she had just caught her brother locked in a passionate embrace with her friend didn't keep the small giggle from escaping. Despite everything that was going on, Stella was actually happy that something good had come out of all of it. Seeing her brother so obviously in love struck a cord within her and she backed away quickly, trying not to laugh too hard at the looks on their faces. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize… I'll just go now." She turned on her heel and disappeared back into the room.

Needless to say, Anisse had been terribly embarrassed and she excused herself quickly to go and bring the cups to the kitchen. She placed them very carefully into the sink and she closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart. What was wrong with her? Was she this stupid? She shouldn't have let herself get so close… but those dreams that she had of him and every time he looked at her…

She felt his strong hands on her shoulders and he turned her around gently so that way she faced him. She stared into those azure eyes and that warmth that had grown in her heart for him fanned into a bright flame. He smiled down at her and brought her close, placing his chin against her hair. "Neesy…" He whispered her name, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly against him. She relaxed in his hold, loving the feel of his arms around her. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest, gripping the front of his shirt as if she were afraid to let go. It most likely because she was, she was afraid to let him go, afraid of what the future had in store for them. She had lost her best friend, she was desperately afraid of losing the man she had come to love…

--

There is something about thinking the worst of things and when they come true, it's like a painful twist in the gut. Anisse would look back on the past week with sad longing, the moments that she had spent with the band, especially with Arpegius, were all that she was going to have. The day those men came to take away the Crescendolls, she could only stand by and do nothing. Mr. Conway had spoken with representatives from the government in regards to the strange story behind the Crescendolls but of course, they needed to bring them in and see for themselves.

Anisse was trying her best not to cry, even though Mr. Conway had explained the situation to them. She didn't want this to happen, she didn't want her friends to be treated like they were some lab specimens. Unfortunately, Nate Conway was right. At the moment, there was nothing that they could do for the Crescendolls. They would have a better chance of gaining their memories back and finding a way back home with the aid of the government than they ever could on their own.

When the moment came that they had to leave, Anisse was teary eyed as she hugged Stella. She buried her face in the woman's light brown hair, not wanting this moment to happen. Stella was crying as well as she hugged her friend in return. "Everything will be ok… it has to be… right Neesy?" She smiled as she pulled away to stare at the other woman, reaching up to brush the dark hair from her eyes.

Anisse nodded, wishing that she could say the same thing. Right now she just wasn't so sure… She moved over to Baryl next and pulled him into a tight hug as well. He was such a short man but boy was he strong. He had returned the hug, his arms nearly crushing her with how tightly he held her. He sniffed back a few tears as he pulled away, running his arm across his nose. "Just hang in there Neesy… we've been through worse." He smiled up at her and Anisse laughed through her tears, loving the drummer for finding humor in even so dark a moment.

The moment she turned to Arpegius, she stared up at him and everything seemed to grow quiet. A deep frown played on his handsome face as he stared at her in turn. Her tears spilled and she suddenly threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She buried her face against the warmth of his chest, taking in the familiar feel of him. She felt his arms go around her tightly and he hugged her close. He rested his cheek against her hair, trying to ignore the terrible ache in his own heart. He felt as if a part of him was being torn away, he never thought he would feel anything like this. He held her tighter and kissed her hair. "Neesy, this isn't goodbye…" He whispered to her, trying to soothe the quiet sobs that were shaking her small frame. "I made a promise to Shep that I would always watch over you…" Anisse pulled away and glanced up at him, her grey eyes wide. Arpegius gave a small smile and kissed her lips. "I intend to keep that promise… no matter what."

"It's time…" Mr. Conway spoke from the doorway, a light frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. Arpegius glanced over at him and gave a nod. He kissed her once more before pulling away and moving over to stand with his band mates. Everyone glanced back at the woman who stood in the middle of the office, tears spilling from her eyes. Though they had sworn to one another that it was not really goodbye, the moment that they left and the doors closed behind them, Anisse placed a hand over heart and clenched her fist. She knew it would be a long time before she ever saw her friends again… a long time before she would ever be in his arms again… Was it supposed to hurt this much?

She took in a shuddering breath and pulled back her left sleeve to stare at the computer that was still wrapped around her wrist. It remained silent, the blue stone catching the light from the large windows. She stared at it for an unknown period of time, standing there as her thoughts went back to everything that had happened. It felt like it had been another life that day she was driving home in the rain… had she truly lived before that moment?

By the time the door to the office opened an hour later and Mr. Conway walked in, a light frown still played on his face. He walked over to where she stood beside one of the windows, staring at the view of Center City. He stopped beside her and placed his hands in his pockets. He stood there with her, watching the buildings before he glanced over at her. "It's going to get more difficult from here on out…" He studied the blank look on her face, watching the way her grey eyes searched the streets below. "They're going to want to speak to you… every single one of them. They'll be questioning everything… This is going to be a very public affair, are you ready for this?

Anisse took in a breath, tossing his words over and over in her mind. She knew she would be questioned by the press, by the police, especially by the government… She would be going back over every detail of her journey but it had to be done. The Crescendolls, as Mr. Conway had made so clear, were loved by the whole world. Their story needed to be shared and the more people that heard of their plight, the better their chances were. Her thoughts drifted back on the night she met Shep, the night he had passed away. She thought of Stella, Octave and Baryl, and she thought of Arpegius…

She glanced over at the vice president of Rocket Records and gave a firm nod. "I am Mr. Conway… more so than you can imagine…"


	18. Chapter 18

(A/n) After this there should be two more chapters.

To Sarah and Reikat: Thank you for your wonderful reviews! I need your opinion, since you will be the ones to decide the ending. There is a question at the end of this chapter and I need to know: Yes or no? :)

Disclaimer: See first chapter, Anisse is of my own creation.

Warning: This chapter is filled with fluff and mush so for those of you with weak stomachs and frequent motion sickness, I urge you to turn back now. XD

* * *

Chapter 18

_Operation Goodbye Crescendolls_ had officially begun. Over the past three months, Anisse had the pleasure of becoming one of the most interesting people to be hounded by the press. She could not believe that finally, (after all of the conferences, meetings, appointments and so on with various members of world wide governments, the press, talk shows, and everything else under the sun,) the motion to send the Crescendolls home had been passed with approval. The entire project was going to be funded by the donations from all of their fans (and did they have a lot of fans) as well as some charitable organizations.

Anisse herself had been a subject of some controversy for some time and for awhile many people had thought she was an alien as well. She could recall the moment she had been brought in for questioning as well as having to go through some tests. It had been an annoying process but in the end, she had turned out to be a standard human being. Something she had been telling them from the start. She supposed it was because of the alien technology that she was still in possession of. Mr. Conway had given the memory disks as well as the Veridis Quo book to the men who had taken The Crescendolls long before. Anisse however, downright refused to hand over Shep's computer or her own. They were all she had left of her best friend and she was not going to give it over to some government officials who were hoping to study it.

It took a lot of fighting but she had won and they opted instead to study the technology that belonged on Shep's ship, which had remained until today, crashed in the hills beyond her cabin. The parade of large cranes, trucks and police cars, followed by the mass of media, driving down the main street of her old town was a sight to see. Everyone in town had lined up along the sidewalks, watching as the vehicles passed through the town toward the hills. Anisse was sitting in a police cruiser in the very front of the line, leading the way to where this Shep's ship had remained for what felt like such a long time.

She led a few cops and scientists through the trees on foot, her blue shades picking up the strong signal of the ship and the blue stone on her computer flashing with faint light. The moment that they emerged into the clearing and she caught the sight of Shep's ship, now covered in leaves and all matter of dead plant life, her heart dropped. The collective gasps from everyone around her didn't penetrate the deep sadness that had fallen around her. She simply stood there as everyone else moved around to get a better look at the ship. As she stared at the ship, the tears began to well into her eyes and she stubbornly rubbed them away.

She could not believe it had been three months since she had seen them. How were they? Did they manage to get their memories back? Did they finally look like their true selves? She had no idea how they were doing seeing as she was not allowed to see them. She wasn't even allowed to see Octave, who still remained in his coma from what Mr. Conway had gathered from his sources. It wasn't fair and for the first time, she fully realized just how lonely her life had been before she had even met Shep.

_Shep…_ She thought back on her best friend. Everyone had asked about the mysterious hero who had given his life to save his own but she had kept her mouth firmly shut. She had only given vague details about him but refused to reveal anything else. Thankfully, they didn't pursue the matter too much; the frenzy over the spaceship overshadowed the story of the man who had owned it. The grief over losing him was still sharp but she had been so swept up over everything that had been happening, she did not have the time to sit and mourn. She missed him though. Oh did she miss him and the others… Arpegius…

The process had begun in clearing away the area to get the cranes to the ship. Anisse's cabin was being used as a layover point for everyone involved and she didn't realize just how small her home had been until there were dozens of people walking in and out of it. She stood in the tiny kitchenette and looked around her one roomed home. It was mostly empty now save for the actual furnishings. She had taken all of her personal belongings, her art supplies and pictures and had packed them away before putting them in the police cruiser. Mr. Conway had arranged for her to have a place of her own in the city so that she could be closer.

She had just finished packing the last of her dishes when a knock on the door caught her attention. A pretty woman stood at the open doorway, her light brown hair falling loose around her face. Her amber eyes were taking in the sparse cabin before they settled on the dark haired woman who stood behind the counter. A moment of silence passed between them before a man in a white coat had slipped by the door with a muttered "excuse me" and disappeared into the tiny bathroom.

Anisse stared at the bathroom before she laughed and turned her attention back to the other woman. "Nancy, I'm glad you were able to make it."

Nancy Brown stood there in the doorway, staring at her old coworker as if she were seeing her for the first time. "Is it… is it true?"

"The fact that I'm leaving?" She smiled sadly as she closed the cardboard box and picked it up.

"That… and the music band… that spaceship." Nancy replied in a daze, her eyes still wide from the sight of the space ship that she had seen dangling from a crane. She watched as Anisse walked passed her and out to the cruiser that was filled with her boxes and wrapped canvases. Nancy followed after her, feeling as if she had landed in different world entirely.

"Have you watched the news? It's been all over." Anisse placed the box in the back seat and stretched her back. She looked over at the gym teacher, studying her face as Nancy opened her mouth and then closed it.

"You never came back… you never called anyone… everyone in town thought something bad had happened to you." Nancy bit her lip, a bad habit that she always did when something bothered her and she needed to think. "The next thing I know, you're all over the news and people are talking about these aliens that-."

"They needed help… so I helped them." Anisse closed the door and walked over to stand in front of the other woman. She smiled at the bewildered expression; it was a look that she had gotten from a lot of people lately.

"But… why?" Nancy watched her as Anisse reached into her back pocket and pulled out a white envelope. She stared at it for a moment, a wistful look in her grey eyes. She looked up at the gym teacher and held the envelope out to her.

"Why not?" She said in turn, waiting for Nancy to take the paper from her.

"What is this?" Nancy stared at the envelope, her expression growing from bewildered to curious. Anisse laughed softly and held it out further. "Just take it, I don't need it anymore."

Nancy took the envelope and opened it, her amber eyes grew wide at the letter she pulled out. It was the deed to Anisse's cabin as well as the land that surrounded it, some twenty acres of forest. She stared at the deed and then at the dark haired woman who smiled sadly at her. "Why are you giving this to me?"

Anisse merely shrugged and turned back to gaze at the small wooden cabin that had been her home for so long. "Honestly, I consider you something like a friend though we hardly know each other. I have no one else to leave it to either." She looked back at Nancy and her smile grew sad. "It's yours, everything is all settled. All you have to do is sign the papers."

"I…" Nancy glanced down at the deed and tears welled in her eyes. "Thank you Anisse… I'll take good care of it." She smiled at her old coworker as she pressed the paper against her heart. She looked around at the forest and the small cabin with wonder then slowly turned her gaze back to Anisse. "But, what will you do? Where will you go?"

"I don't know… I'll just keep walking the path I'm on until it leads me somewhere." Anisse replied and shook her head. The man in the white coat had emerged from the cabin and smiled sheepishly at the women before hurrying back to wherever he was stationed at. She watched the man run off and her face grew sad, her grey eyes growing distant.

Nancy saw this and her own frown emerged. Anisse had that look on her face; that deep longing one has when they are far away from something or someone they care about. She should have realized it. She had been watching the news specials that had interviewed her. They had asked about each of the band members Anisse had known and there was a particular one was always mentioned, the guitarist, the one named Arpegius. Every time his name was spoken, a flicker of the same look would pass across her face. She was good at hiding it on camera but Nancy had seen that look on enough of her girl friends' faces to know what it was. "You fell in love…"

At those words, the blush was instant and Anisse glanced over at her in surprise. "I'm sorry… what?"

Nancy was smiling now, her amber eyes bright. "Who is he?"

Anisse blushed even deeper and looked down at her feet, her dark hair falling forward to hide her face. "Arpegius…"

"The guitarist..." Nancy's smile grew as she thought back on the handsome, brown haired guitar player. He had a bad boy look about him that had a lot of the girls and women all over swooning. "Does he feel the same?" Anisse only muttered in reply and Nancy laughed softly. "I'll take that as a yes…" She trailed off and slowly the smile faded. "But… he's going to be leaving. Now that everyone's going to help them get back to wherever they came from… how…?"

The tears were answer enough and Nancy's heart went out to the other woman. It hurt, that much she understood, it hurt to love someone that you had no chance of being with. They were silent, listening to the breeze as it ruffled the leaves of the trees surrounding them. Nancy looked up at the clear blue sky and she tilted her head. "You could go with them..."

"What?"

Nancy glanced back at the former art teacher and started to smile. "You could go with him, with all of them. You said so for yourself that you don't have anything else here…"

Anisse blinked in surprise, the thought had never occurred to her and her face brightened just a little. Could she? Would they want her to? However, just as quickly as the hope came it was gone and she shook her head sadly. "Even if I could, I wouldn't be allowed to. I'm not even allowed to see them…"

"Oh…" Nancy frowned in sympathy and looked at the large crane that towered above the trees. The ship was being lowered at the moment and it wobbled from side to side. She took in a breath and glanced at the other woman, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't give up just yet… there's still time before they even figure out how to make that ship work again. You will see them. Those idiots working for the government will have no choice but to. If he loves you the way you love him, he'll be making enough of a racket to get them to… mark my words…"

--

It was a terrible feeling. The ache in his chest had become constant since they had left Neesy standing alone in that office and it had only grown worse with each passing week. At first, they had been too immersed in all of the testing, the questions and such by the people who were trying to help them for him to pay much mind to it. A month had passed and by then, the scientists had managed to work out how their memory disks worked. At some point, Neesy must have shown them where Darkwood was located. The scientists had taken Stella, Baryl and him to different part of the facility that they were being housed at. There they found themselves in a large room, surrounded by monitors that were currently playing back their own memories. Everywhere else the technology that the Earl had used to change them into humans were being studied and broken apart, trying to see how they worked.

Another month had passed and the scientists had managed to come up with a working system that was able to restore Arpegius and the others back to their original forms with their memories restored. It felt strange to look at himself in the mirror and to find a man with shoulder length, golden hair and vivid blue skin staring back at him. It was strange to finally remember who he was and where he had come from. It felt stranger too to finally look at his sister and Baryl, now looking like their true selves, and to speak to them in their own language. Now that they were themselves again, the scientists were working round the clock to figure out how to send The Crescendolls home. They had to wait until a certain motion was approved before anything could truly be done. That and Octave was still deep in his coma and nothing was going to happen until he pulled through.

In the meantime the ache in his heart had grown worse and Arpegius had been watching the news religiously just to be able to see Neesy. It was difficult to see her, to hear her voice and not be able to comfort her. She looked tired and sad; he could see it in her eyes. She had been working with Mr. Conway in rallying support to help send them home. She was all over the news, on every talk show and special. Stella had told him that the people who had been helping them would not allow Neesy to see them. They had said there was no real need to have her around at this moment in time. Damn that, there was a real need. _He_ needed her.

Another month had passed before The Crescendolls found out that Neesy and Mr. Conway had rallied more than enough support for their cause and the motion to work on sending them home had passed with no arguments. It was going to happen; they were going to go home. Neesy had finally finished what Shep had started… it just hurt so much that she couldn't be there with them.

He was leaning against the railing of the balcony, watching the city skyline while the stars twinkled above. The facility that they had been brought to was actually located below the very hospital in which Octave had been staying. The wing in which he was staying in was off limits to the general public and staff and they had been given their own rooms there in order to be closer to their band mate. His own room was located across from Octave's and he had a view of the city where the Rocket Records building could be seen.

He turned his gaze to the building with longing as he fingered Neesy's charm bracelet. The charms clinked against each other as he moved from one charm to the next, remembering the first time he had touched the bracelet and her. It was how his sister had found him, the breeze ruffling his golden hair while his azure eyes stared at the building. His blue skin seemed a little pale in the light from his room and she stopped beside him, her own golden hair stirring beside his. "You truly miss her, don't you?" She asked in their own tongue, it felt good to speak it though they did not lose their ability to speak Neesy's language.

Arpegius' fingers stilled, the silver bracelet swaying gently while a muscle twitched in his jaw. He took in a breath and looked over at his sister, the look in his eyes as plain as day. "Is it that obvious?" He tried to smile but could barely manage and he sighed and looked away. "Stella… I didn't know it would hurt this much. I had grown so used to having her around. It felt like she was one of us."

Stella smiled at her brother and turned to stare up at the stars above that were familiar now and yet so different now that she remembered the sky from their home world. "She is one of us…" Her smile softened as she glanced at her older sibling and gently shook her head. "You love her very much…"

Arpegius didn't react, he didn't blush or stammer like he always used to when they were younger and there had been a girl that he liked. He simply stared at the charm bracelet held his hand and gave the smallest of nods. "I love her… and I can't be there for her because I can't get to her…" He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, his fist clenching the bracelet tightly. "It doesn't feel right. She needs to be with us."

Stella reached out to wrap an arm around her brother's shoulder and tried her best to comfort him. They stared at the Rocket Records building in the distance, wondering where she was at this moment. Arpegius hoped that she was all right and he wished, oh how he wished, that he could be with her again.

--

On the other side of the city, in a rather large apartment, Anisse was sitting out on her own balcony and staring up at the same sky. She had her canvas before her and she was just placing the finishing touches on the painting that had taken the better part of two weeks to finish. She ran her brush down the canvas one last time before placing it aside and rubbing her forehead. She was finally done.

She stared at the painting, a mix of awe and sadness filling her as she studied it. She could not believe how strong it had stuck her, the inspiration to paint this vision. She had poured over her sketchbook, which was filled with the images of Shep, Arpegius and the others. It was filled with her dreams and she knew then that she had to paint it. The finished product came out so much nicer than she had expected. She sat there and studied it just as the doorbell rang.

Blinking in surprise, she got up from her stool and walked to the door. She stood on her tip toes and peeked through the peephole and saw the distorted image of Mr. Conway standing on the other side. She dropped on her heels, unlocked the door and opened it with a welcome smile. "Hello Nate."

"Anisse, how are you this evening?" Nate Conway smiled at the young woman who stood before him in a paint splattered t-shirt and jeans. She took a step back to let him through and walked to the kitchen. "I'm well enough… would you care for something to drink? I have water, tea and wine."

Nate walked into her spacious apartment and closed the door behind him. "A glass of wine would be lovely." He smiled at her as he set his coat on the peg by the door and made his way into the living room. "How do you like you new home?"

"It's wonderful, thank you." She smiled as she returned with two glasses of wine in hand and handed him one. He took it with a nod and sipped it, watching her as she took her glass out to the balcony. He followed after her and stood in the doorway in surprise. "You've finished it." He stared at the painting that sat on the easel.

It was an incredible painting; she had captured every one of The Crescendolls to perfection. Each of them was holding their various instruments and they were staring with longing to the sky above. Stella was next to a blue skinned man that Nate did not recognize; he had brown hair and was dressed in a peculiar purple and maroon jumpsuit. They were facing one another in a light embrace, their smiles revealing just how happy they were. The others were behind the couple, smiling as they held their instruments. The background was painted in a dark purple hue with swirling streams of stardust and rainbow light.

Nate was astounded at how incredible her talent was. Anisse had told him that she was an artist but he had no idea that she could paint like this. All of her emotions had been placed into this piece and he knew exactly why. He stared at the painted version of Arpegius and he could see that Anisse had lingered over him. The colors that she had used for him were brighter than the others and the swirling stardust focused around his form. Nate sighed softly as he set his glass on the small table she had beside her chair.

"Something is missing…" He moved over to the painting and gestured to an empty space right beside the guitarist. "There should be someone here… why did you leave them out?"

The look on her face was sad and she turned away to stare at the sky, her glass of wine held loosely in her hands. "There is no place for them there… no matter how right it feels they just don't belong."

Nate stared at the young woman and saw the longing on her face. He had grown to know Anisse Sterre well enough over the past few months and he knew just how much in love she was. She wouldn't say a word but it spoke plainly in every gesture and every word. He studied the painting and reached out to circle the area beside Arpegius. "There is room there… you only need to make it. Despite what you may think, that person belongs there." He looked back at her and smiled before he finished the rest of his wine. "How would you feel about a drive? The night is lovely and it would be a shame to waste it."

Anisse studied Nate Conway, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. He was up to something but exactly what she had no idea. She studied her painting, her eyes lingering on Arpegius, before she downed the rest of her wine as well and set the glass aside. "Sure… why not…" She would go along for the ride; whatever he had planned wouldn't be that bad. It was better than moping around here and aching for something she couldn't have…

--

He couldn't sleep. It wasn't the first time but for some reason he had the strangest feeling that something was happening. He stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom for quite sometime before he heard a loud scream from down the hall. It sounded like Stella, why was she screaming?

Not giving it a second thought, Arpegius leapt out of his bed and ran out into the quiet hall. He looked up and down the corridor before he saw that the light in his sister's room was on. He walked up the hallway and stopped outside of his sister's door. He could hear voices inside, they were female and speaking in his native tongue though he could not make out the words too well. Curiosity getting the best of him, he opened the door and stopped in surprise, his heart feeling as if it had dropped to his stomach.

Stella was hugging someone rather tightly, tears streaming down her blue cheeks while her long, gold hair hid the face of whoever was in her arms. She spoke again in their language, her words coming as clear as a bell. "I can't believe it! We've missed you so much!"

The person was returning her hug and a familiar laugh bubbled up as the person responded in turn in their language. "I've missed you too! Just looking at you now, I feel like I'm finally meeting _you_!"

Feminine laughter rose up at this and Arpegius swallowed the sudden tightness in his throat. He glanced around to find that Baryl was standing off to one side, his arms crossed behind his head as a bright and goofy smile played on his blue face. He saw Nate Conway standing beside the drummer, the look of utter confusion on his face quite evident. He had no idea what was being said and the fact that the person even knew The Crescendolls' native language seemed to have made him freeze in place.

The blood began to roar in Arpegius' ears as he watched a familiar head of long dark hair appear. If Mr. Conway was here then that meant… Baryl's smile grew as he caught sight of the guitarist standing dumbfounded in the doorway. "Hey Arpegius! Look who's here?"

Stella pulled away from the person she held and glanced back at her brother, a smile on her own face. Neesy stood there beside his sister, her grey eyes focusing on him. The room seemed to grow quiet as she pulled away from Stella, her gaze on no one but the guitarist. They stood like that for a few heartbeats, studying one another. It just hit him fully that the last time they had seen each other he had looked human. Now he was his true self, blue skin and all. Did she still feel the same?

Neesy had walked a few steps toward him, no emotion visible on her face. The silence stretched before it became unbearable and he tried to smile at her. "Hello…" He said quietly in his language, almost afraid to say anything more. If she didn't feel the same for him… if she couldn't…

Neesy paused at that simple hello, her grey eyes grew wide and the tears began to fill. Her lower lip trembled and the next thing he knew, she had barreled into him, throwing her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly as she began to cry, burying her face in the warmth of his neck. He was stunned at first but a small smile appeared and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. By the stars, did he miss the feel of her; it felt so right holding her now.

He pressed his cheek against her hair and he felt that familiar warmth well up inside of him as he listened to her whisper over and over. "I love you… I love you… please don't let go… I love you so much…"

Arpegius closed his eyes and sighed, feeling the ache that had been with him for the past three months finally begin to disappear. "I won't let go… I promise…"

--

It was much later before they were finally alone. They stood outside in the balcony of his room, staring up at the star-filled sky. Arpegius kept his arms firmly around Anisse's shoulders as he stood behind her, his chin against her temple. They had been quiet for some time and Anisse glanced down at the arms that held her. The skin was blue, such a beautiful shade of blue. She lifted her hand and gripped his arm, studying her caramel skin beside his blue.

He noticed her studying their skin tones and he placed a firm kiss on her head. "We're no different, you and I." He smiled when she pulled away to glance up at him, the question in her eyes. He brushed the hair from her eyes and leaned down to kiss her lips. "We live, we hope and we dream… we love… in the end, that is all that really matters."

Anisse smiled softly as she felt the warmth grow into her cheeks. She placed her head against his chest and sighed, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. It was steady and strong… She felt his arms wrap around her to bring her close again. She took in the feel of them, taking in every precious moment since it would be all that they had. He would be leaving, they all would, and they would not come back. The thought was enough to make her cry but she held back the tears, she would be happy with what she was given. It was all she could ask for.

She felt Arpegius take in a shuddering breath and he sighed, his breath ruffling her hair. "Neesy… I want to ask you something…"

Her heart skipped in its beat as Arpegius pulled away and braced her chin in a firm hand. He stared into her eyes, his gold hair falling around his azure ones. A light frown twitched on his blue face and she could feel that he was trembling. Why was he trembling?

"I wanted… I was hoping… We had spoken about it, Stella and Baryl both agree…" He took in another breath; his heart was pounding so hard. "If-when- Octave wakes up, we know he would agree with the rest of us…"

"Arpegius?" Anisse frowned lightly, feeling somewhat confused as to what he was trying to say. She reached up to take his hand and she pressed her lips against his warm palm. He smiled at the gesture and seemed to calm down just a little. He touched her face and he studied her eyes, he looked almost afraid.

"Come back home with us… we want you to come home with us." He pulled her into a hug then, not wanting to see the look on her face. "You're a part of our family… we want you to come with us. I… want you to come with me…" He held her tighter, noticing how she had become so still. He started feel his heart stop, knowing that what he was asking was selfish but… he had to ask. "Will you…?"


	19. Chapter 19

(A/N) OK!! It has been over a week since the last update, the holidays are over! Yay! Now life can get back to normal. I had actually taken a tumble off my bike last week and messed up my shoulder pretty good, which meant I could not type or write or anything. So I started to play my DS which enticed me to I start on another story, which prompted a slew of creativity and put this one on the back burner. Sorry! So without further ado, here is chapter 19 and boy is it long...

Thank you Sarah for reminding me to get off my lazy butt to get this chapter done! We have one more to go! Wee! Thank you for reviewing!

To Reikat: Thank you for voting yes!! I was hoping you would say yes! I wanted the happily ever after so bad too but I figured I would leave it up to you and Sarah. Thank you so much for reviewing!

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Chapter 19

The moment he opened his eyes it was as if a collective sigh had emerged from everyone all at once. Nate Conway was standing beside Octave's bed, which meant that he was the first person that Octave saw. Nate gave a bright smile in relief the moment Octave's dark green eyes focused on him. "Welcome back to the waking world. We were starting to get a little worried." Nate said as he took a step back and turned around to face the others who were standing a few feet away from the bed. "You have a few friends here to see you."

Octave groaned a little in response as he struggled to sit up. The machines that had been monitoring him had been taken off some time before once he was showing sure signs of waking up. "What… happened?" He managed to ask as he held a hand to his head and looked across the bed. "Guys?" His gaze focused on the small group of people that moved closer to the bed, a bright smile of relief upon each of their faces.

Stella stood on the far left, a hand held to her chest as her eyes were beginning to well with tears. Arpegius was beside his sister, a hand placed over his hip as his own smile grew. Neesy stood close beside him and she was crying openly as she wiped a few stray tears from her flushed cheeks. Baryl was next to her on the far right and he held up his arms as he walked to the bed, his smile so large it almost seemed to split his face. "Octave! We're so glad you're ok! You wouldn't believe what has been happening!"

Octave stared at his band mates, now looking like their true blue skinned selves then at himself, turning his hand over in surprise. "You're… we're… us again?" He managed to say; the disbelief appeared first followed by a bright smile as he sat up further and threw back the blankets. He was dressed in nothing but a hospital gown and it was a relief to everyone in the room because his gown also bore a pair of pants. He had gotten to his feet without any hesitation and moved over to the others. He went right to Stella and pulled her into a hug, then grabbed Arpegius and Baryl into the hug so that they were all hugging and laughing.

Neesy giggled softly as she went to stand beside Nate, her hands clasped behind her back. "I'm so glad he's all right… that means it won't be long before the big trip begins."

Nate gave a nod as he watched Baryl start to pull the rest of the band toward the balcony, the excitement quite clear on his face. He wanted to go and see the huge crowd of people, press and local authorities that were outside the hospital at that moment, waiting to see The Crescendolls. Nate watched as they all stepped outside to the balcony before turning his attention to the woman beside him. "They've already fixed the spaceship and the take off point is almost complete." He studied her as she kept her grey eyes on the balcony, her gaze focused on the golden haired guitarist. He gave a sad smile as he slipped his hands in his front pockets. "You know the motion has passed with full approval. It took a lot of strings to pull and a lot of favors to be made but they all agreed. It would be beneficial to have a human represent our planet to The Crescendolls' home world." He smiled at the look of pure and utter joy that had spread through her entire face. "You already know their language so…"

"Do you mean it?" Neesy's smile grew as she suddenly squealed and threw her arms around Nate, hugging him tightly. "I can't believe it! They're letting me go?!"

Nate laughed as he patted her back, feeling suddenly uncomfortable at the display of emotion. "I will say this they weren't expecting a fifth person to be joining the voyage. They had to make some additions but it's nothing major. You'll be under going some extensive training with the others for the coming space travel." He pulled away as his worry began to grow. "Anisse, this is a one way trip. Once the ship takes off there will be no coming back. Everything will be left up to chance the moment you hit that wormhole." His frown deepened as he studied her face. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Neesy returned his gave with a determined look of her own and she gave a firm nod. "Yes, I've never been surer of anything." The look faded a bit as she started to smile, her grey eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm just so glad they're letting me go…"

The sound of the rising cheers from outside grew as The Crescendolls came back into the room, their smiles still bright. Neesy turned to face them and she let out a scream just before she ran over to them. She threw herself right at Arpegius, who had not been expecting her and he stumbled back from the sudden weight that had barreled into him. "Neesy, what's going on?" He asked in his language as he kept a firm hold on her waist, smiling at the look of pure joy on her face.

"I'm going!" She squealed in response in his language, her slight accent making the words sound even better to his ears. She turned her gaze to the others as her smile grew. "They're letting me go!"

"Are you serious?" Arpegius could not believe what he had just heard and he looked at Nate, the question in his azure eyes. "Is it true?" He asked in Neesy's language.

Nate nodded in response; the pure joy that emanated from Neesy was beginning to become infectious. "It is." He said and started to laugh the moment Arpegius let out a whoop and took Neesy, pulling her into a tight hug and swinging her in a circle.

Stella and Baryl were laughing at the couple and yet Octave had no idea what was happening. He was dumbfounded by the fact that Arpegius and Neesy were acting so… loving and yet the others were not so surprised. He caught Stella's eye and he shook his head. "I don't understand… what's going on?"

Baryl was the first to announce the news as he pointed a thumb at the couple. "Arpegius had asked Neesy to come back home with us and she said yes."

Stella giggled softly as her brother finally released the woman that he loved and she reached out to take Neesy's hand. She pulled Neesy beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Her people are letting her go. She's going to stay with us."

Octave stared at each of his band mates before his eyes settled on Neesy. Slowly the smile began to emerge and he gave a small nod. "Really? You want to come back home with us?"

Neesy smiled as she nodded, glancing back at Arpegius with a very loving look. She focused her grey eyes back on the vocalist and blushed. "I hope you don't mind… it's just when Arpegius had asked… the fact that you all would be leaving…" She trailed off and looked down. "I had started this journey with Shep and I wanted to finish what he started. I've grown to love you all very much and I want to stay with all of you, right to the very end."

Octave's mouth opened and closed for a few moments before he glanced between Arpegius and Neesy. There was something more solid there; the tension that he had seen for much of the journey between them had disappeared. He understood now and slowly he started to laugh. His laughter grew as he hugged his sides and shook his head. "I never thought I would see the day Arpegius would actually fall for someone." He straightened as he walked over to Neesy and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm glad you're coming back home with us. After everything we had been through… after losing Shep… you're a part of us now. I have the feeling he would have wanted you to come back with us…"

Neesy returned his hug as her tears began to spill, having gotten Octave's approval it was all she needed to hear. She had made the right decision; she would be going home with all of them. Whatever the future brought, she knew everything would be all right…

--

The next few months had passed quickly, the news that Anisse would be going with The Crescendolls back to their home world had spread like a wildfire throughout the entire news media. She was to become an official ambassador to The Crescendolls' planet and she could only hope that Shep's people would be open to the thought of an alien coming with their band. What if they found her to be suspicious? What if something went wrong? She was beginning to panic at the prospect of the coming trip but the moment the panic grew, Arpegius, Stella, Octave and Baryl were right there to calm her fears. She was their friend, she had helped to bring them back home and that would be more than enough to help the people of their planet see past her alien features.

The moment that their training for the hazards of space travel was finally over and they were being fitted for their space suits, Anisse was nothing but a bundle of nerves. She had passed the all of the training with the others but it didn't count for the fact that they would be traveling through a wormhole. A lot could go wrong but in the end, that was the way everything in life truly was. Despite all of the training and preparation, you take a risk on a wing and a prayer and hope for the best. For Anisse, looking at the others and seeing their trusting faces, looking at Arpegius and seeing the love she had never thought to see in his azure eyes, it was more than enough to feel that they would be all right.

The day of the take off arrived and the very air was filled with tension. Anisse stood with the others in the pre-dawn light, donned in her white space suit. She had chosen to bring only a few prized possessions with her including her art supplies. She had no idea what was waiting for her in Shep's home planet but she had found her muse for her paintings and she was not going to let it go. The instruments that belonged to the Crescendolls, the originals that had been theirs before they were kidnapped, had been found at the ruins of Darkwood Manor. They had been stored, along with Anisse's art supplies, on Shep's spaceship. Everything was ready.

The media was present, as well as various members from world wide governments, to witness the event. The band, as well as Anisse, stood in a line before them all and were shaking hands with each and every one of those members. Baryl was first in line to greet them, followed by Stella, who looked beautiful even in her bulky space suit. Octave was beside her and the third in line to greet those people and Arpegius was next to him, smiling kindly at the strangers who shook his hand. Anisse was beside Arpegius and the last in line to shake everyone's hand. She could recall how each of those members had taken her hand and wished her good luck. She was taking a huge step, not only for herself but for the world. Would she be remembered with the rest of the band? Who knew for sure but at this moment it time, she didn't truly care. Earth had been her home and now she would be finishing a journey that had started a lifetime ago in another world.

Nate was the last to say goodbye to all of them and he had with him four white, rounded, cases. He handed a case to each of the band members and shook their hand in goodbye. He reached Arpegius and handed him the last case with a nod. "This belonged to you. I wanted to make sure you didn't forget them."

Arpegius opened the case, revealing a white headband with a bright red jewel in its center. It had been a part of their original outfits, Anisse remembered seeing them on the band's posters and album covers on Shep's ship. The others had taken their headbands out and were staring at them with bright smiles, it was as if these were the signs that their journey back home had truly begun. Arpegius looked over at Nate, who was smiling at the guitarist and held out his hand. "Good luck, Arpegius. Take good care of Anisse for us."

Arpegius returned the smile and reached out to take Nate's hand, giving it a firm shake. "I will. It's a promise I had already made to a good friend."

Nate released Arpegius' hand and turned his attention to Anisse. He studied her for a heartbeat before reaching out to take her hand in his own. "You've traveled quite a long road Anisse and have yet to finish your journey." He smiled and gave her hand a shake. "You take good care of yourself out there. It was an honor to meet you."

"Likewise Nate…" Anisse smiled as she shook his hand in turn. "We'll be in touch, I'm sure."

Nate laughed as he released her hand and took a step back. He gazed at all of them and gave a nod in goodbye. "Good luck to all you… and be safe."

It was time and the group was escorted to the very large space shuttle that housed Shep's spaceship within its belly. Anisse stared at the large shuttle that was drawing nearer with each step and she swallowed at the fear that bit at her heart. She blinked in surprise when she felt someone nudge her and she looked up to find Arpegius walking beside her. He was smiling and he leaned in close to her ear. "Everything will be all right… I promise Neesy…"

His voice seemed to sooth her very nerves and she smiled at him, loving the man that walked beside her with every fiber of her being. "I know… as long as I'm with you and the others… I know everything will be all right."

Arpegius returned her smile and stayed beside her as they walked the finals steps toward the space shuttle…

--

The moment the shuttle took off, everything in Anisse began to panic. She gripped the restraints of her seat and closed her eyes tightly while everything shivered and shook. Arpegius was seated in the pilot's seat in the very front of the cockpit. Anisse and Stella sat in the two seats behind him and Octave and Baryl sat behind them. The very force of the launch had thrown Anisse back into her seat and she let out a breath, the helmet of her spacesuit fogging for a brief moment.

The shuttle continued its journey through Earth's atmosphere and Anisse kept her eyes tightly closed, her grip firm and her prayers constant. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the ride became smoother and the onboard monitors of the cockpit flashed to life. Everyone aboard the spaceship felt the shift of weightlessness as the locks to the shuttle disengaged. The part of the shuttle that had been keeping Shep's ship so firmly in place separated from the main body. The autopilot engaged at that moment and the ship's thrusters burst to life just as they fell into open space.

The shuttle drifted away behind them, its fuel now spent, and Shep's ship took off in its orbit of Earth. Arpegius smiled as he glanced back at everyone and gave a thumb's up. The take off was a success. Octave and Baryl returned the gesture while Stella smiled at them. Anisse was taking in a few deep breaths as the oxygen to her helmet continued to pump in. She was glancing around at open space, her grey eyes taking in the sight of Earth so far below them.

"Neesy, are you all right?" Arpegius as he focused his gaze on her, the look on his face growing soft at once. She caught his eye and gave a firm nod, the look of awe still evident. "I never thought it would be this beautiful…" She said as she stared at the wide expanse of space and the billions of stars that greeted them.

Stella smiled at her and glanced over at the pilot's seat and her smile fell just a little. Anisse followed her gaze and knew at once who was missing from the equation. For a fleeting moment, both women saw a smiling Shep looking back at them from the seat, giving a thumb's up, before the image was replaced by Arpegius' form. She stared at the pilot's seat and her heart fell as she glanced over at Stella.

The bass guitarist was quiet, a sad frown on her face. She looked over at Anisse and both women gazed at one another, an understanding between them that needed no explaining. He should have been here be with all of them…

--

It took several of Earth's hours to use the planet's gravitational pull like a sling shot in order for the ship to be projected toward the moon. The wormhole had been located on the dark side of the moon and they only had a matter of time before it closed completely. They had only one shot to make and after that it was all up to fate.

The moment that Shep's ship broke free of Earth's orbit and spanned the distance toward the large grey orb that was the moon, Anisse was somewhat calm. The journey had been smooth so far and if everything went well, they would make it into the wormhole with little trouble. It was hard to know exactly how long the journey took, there was no time in space and everyone was so quiet, waiting for the moment the wormhole would come into view.

The ship began to move a little faster as the moon's gravitational pull took a hold of them. They curved around the satellite, drifting away from the light side of the moon. The dark side of the moon was nothing but shadow and as Shep's ship continued to move around, a wavering form of… something came into view. It was a strange mix of both light and shadow and the onboard navigation system made a lock on it. It was the wormhole.

Everyone seemed to brace themselves at the same time as the wormhole drew ever closer. Anisse had no idea what to expect and she gripped her restraints like she had during the launch. The wormhole seemed to swallow them as they were pulled straight into it. It was a million times worse than the launch. Anisse was pushed so far back into her seat from the force of the gravity that took them that she could barely breathe. Was it going to be like this through the whole way? How long would it last?

As if something had been reading her thoughts, the force that pushed them so far back in their seats eased a little and the blinding white light faded. Anisse risked a peek to make sure it was safe to see before opening her eyes. Her gasp escaped as the sight of swirling rainbow light surrounded them and stars drifting past them at such an alarming speed. It was… it was just like her dreams…

Shep's ship moved steadily through the tunnel of swirling rainbow light and stars. The ship still shook every now and again but it was nothing to be alarmed about. That was until the monitor in front of Arpegius began to blink, picking up a strange energy source that was coming after them at an alarming rate. "What the hell?" Arpegius stared at the monitor as the computer focused on the unknown energy making a beeline straight for the ship. He glanced back out the large window of the cockpit, trying to see what it was that was gaining on them and fast.

"What is it?" Octave asked, looking over his shoulder as well. Anisse was sitting on the same side as Octave and she glanced back with the rest of them, catching the sight of a shifting, black form. It all happened so fast, she had no idea what had hit them. One moment they were surrounded by a sea of stars and rainbow light, the next moment they were in utter darkness. The pain that shot through her head was even worse than the one she had experienced the first time Shep had made a mental connection with her. She cried out along with Stella, the sound of many tortured screams and hideous chanting filling her mind. She jolted at the pain that sliced through her body, whatever this thing was it was trying to kill them. The worst part there was they could do nothing about it.

She had no idea how long it had lasted, she wasn't aware of anything but the pain. A heartbeat and then two, she wasn't going to last much longer… At that moment, the chanting and the screaming stopped and light filled the cockpit. Anisse's body twitched once before a calming presence spilled over her. Her body relaxed at once and the pain disappeared. She sighed softly as a familiar voice spoke within her thoughts.

_You're safe Neesy… you can rest now. Take good care of Stella for me, will you? I'm so glad you're coming home… promise you'll live for me…_

Anisse opened her eyes and caught a fleeting glimpse of Shep; he was smiling as he glanced back at her and Stella, a shifting black mass fighting to escape his grasp. His smile grew before he took off, disappearing into the swirling tunnel of rainbow light. She felt the tears spill and she closed her eyes, her throat growing tight. He had saved them again… Shep…

Anisse glanced over at Stella; she was staring straight ahead to where Shep's spirit had disappeared, her hand held out. A heartbeat passed before something dark pierced the tunnel ahead of them. Like before, a sudden force took hold of the ship and propelled them forward through the wormhole. Everyone was thrown back against their seats and the breath was pressed from their lungs. Everyone braced themselves, wondering when it would be over when the force completely disappeared.

Anisse felt so drained and from the rest of the groaning that she heard, she wasn't the only one. She wearily opened her eyes and looked over at the others, making sure that everyone was in one piece. Her eyes settled on Stella and she noticed her friend was staring off into the distance of space. Anisse followed her gaze and spotted a distant pink star in the expanse of space. It was fading away as it moved before it completely disappeared… It had been Shep… she just knew it…

"Is everyone ok?" Arpegius looked back at the others and everyone nodded, though they looked the worse for wear. They had made it through the wormhole, now they only had to make the rest of the journey to their planet. As their seats began to shift back into the ship, away from the cockpit, Anisse could not believe that this was really happening… The Crescendolls were almost home and she was heading home with them…

--

They had taken off their bulky spacesuits the moment the ship's gravity and oxygen systems were activated. Anisse had been in this ship only once before but she remembered the way to Shep's bedroom. She led the others down the brightly lit hallway, their footsteps dragging along the floor. She stopped at a door and pressed her hand on the panel beside it. It blinked once before the door slid open and she stood aside to let the others through. The filed in without a word and she went in after them, the door sliding closed behind her.

She stopped at the sight of all the familiar posters and albums that covered the floor, there were even still a few piles of clothing in the corners of the room. She blinked as the memory of Shep staring up at the poster of Stella above his bed with such love and longing filled her mind. It faded away and the sight of Stella standing in the very same spot and staring at the very same poster while a similar look played on her beautiful blue face replaced the memory. Anisse frowned sadly as she stared at the woman that Shep loved so much and finally moved away from the door.

Arpegius had settled himself on the floor in front of a computer panel, he looked so tired. Octave and Baryl had taken up the opposite sides of Shep's bed, their eyes closed as they tried to relax. Stella had looked away from the poster on the ceiling and stared at the large window that gazed out into the wide expanse of space. She walked toward the window and stared at the stars that passed them. Anisse had no idea what to do with herself; she gazed around the room and placed a hand on her arm. The last time she had been here, she and Shep had been planning on their rescue of his favorite band. Now that it was done, what was she going to do? She had chosen to go with them but for what true purpose?

"Neesy…" She heard a deep voice call her and she looked over to find Arpegius gazing at her. His azure eyes grew soft and he held a blue hand toward her. "Come here…"

Anisse smiled a little as she walked over to him and placed her hand in his. His fingers curled around hers and he pulled her down beside him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close as she settled her head upon his shoulder. He didn't say anything to her, he just held her close. He took her hand in his free one and studied her fingers one by one, they were so small. He smiled as he laced his fingers through hers and closed his eyes, resting his jaw against her head. Anisse felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest as they sat there together and Shep's voice came back to her. _Promise you'll live for me…_

She smiled just a little as she listened to Arpegius' heart beating, so strong and so sure. She gazed out at the corner of the room where their instruments had been set, her own art supplies was there beside them. She looked at the bag that was filled with various sketch books and she remembered the one in particular that she had put together especially for Stella. She glanced over at the others and saw that they were all deep in thought. She ran her thumb over Arpegius' palm, a light frown touching her face. "How long has it been since you last saw your home?"

Arpegius glanced down at her and tightened his hold on her hand. He gently kissed her head and closed his eyes. "I honestly don't know…" He replied as he held her closer against him, loving the fact that she was here beside him right now.

"Too long…" Octave had said this in answer to her question and he started to hum, his finger bouncing to a beat that only he heard. "Too long…" He started to sing, his head falling back against the wall, the tired look on his face easing a little as he sang. The others glanced over at him and started to catch on, the smiles growing on their faces. Anisse smiled as well as she pulled away from Arpegius. She felt a soft kiss against her cheek as everyone got up to get their instruments and she looked up to find Arpegius getting to his feet to grab his guitar.

Baryl remained on the bed and started to beat out a rhythm on his lap. Octave turned on his keyboard and began to play a few keys, working out the melody while Stella tuned her bass guitar and plucked a few cords. Arpegius took his seat back down beside Anisse and strummed his guitar, tuning it as well before he started to follow along with the others. He glanced over at her and smiled, his fingers strumming the cords.

She blushed in response and looked away, a shy smile playing on her lips. Her grey eyes caught sight of her bag then and she moved over to grab it. She opened it and pulled out a sketchbook as well as some pencils. She plopped herself right there in the corner where she had a good view of everyone and opened the book to a fresh page. She started to draw, her grey eyes flicking up every moment or so while the band's music filled Shep's room.

Once when she glanced up from her sketches, her eyes caught Arpegius' as he played his guitar. He was still smiling at her while he played and she paused in the middle of her sketch, a sudden feeling of déjà vu hitting her at that moment. Where had she lived a moment like this before? A glint of silver caught her eye and she saw that her mother's charm bracelet was attached to Arpegius' shirt. The charms clinked with every movement he made and her eyes welled with tears as the memory hit her.

Her father would sit for hours on end, sketching her mother while she played her guitar. Anisse would be right there with them, watching the deep love that they shared as they gazed at one another from across the room. Her tears spilled as she glanced down at her current sketch, Arpegius' form caught in a moment in time while he played his guitar with the others. The smile that she had drawn on his face was the same as her mother's had been, one of deep love. She wiped her tears away and continued to sketch while the others played their music. She would live for everyone she had ever loved, she would live…

--

A loud beeping broke through the music some time later and everyone paused to glance over at the monitor that blinked against the wall. Baryl was the first one to reach it and he hit the green button on the monitor while the screen showed the logo for Shep's ship before blinking and revealing three blue skinned men that were clothed in uniforms. "This is Central Command; we have a lock on your ship."

Everyone got to their feet and crowded around the monitor, the sight of familiar blue skinned people a huge relief to everyone in the room. The moment the uniformed men saw that it was their missing band; their cheering could be heard as well as the cheering from everyone in the room. Stella had taken a hold of Anisse and hugged her tight as her tears spilled down her blue cheeks. "We've made it, we're almost home."

Anisse laughed a little as she returned Stella's hug. "You're forgetting that I'm here, do you think they'll welcome me along with you?" She pulled away from Stella then, a worried look on her face. Stella frowned lightly in response but could not reply because one of the men had interrupted. "We're going to guide you back to Bleuve. Go into cockpit and we'll continue from there." The connection broke then and everyone glanced at one another before all eyes fell on Arpegius. It seemed natural that he would be the one to pilot Shep's ship and he gave a nod in agreement. His azure eyes settled on Anisse and he smiled at her. "Are you ready?"

She blushed in reply and gave a firm nod while the others started to leave the room. Arpegius took her hand and pulled her along behind him, his hold on her firm. Anisse blushed even deeper and leaned in close to him, knowing that despite her fears, she was with her friends and the man she loved. It was all she truly needed to know that she would be all right.

In the cockpit, everyone was seated in their chairs, their restraints in place. Arpegius was in the pilot's seat again; his sister and Octave took the seats behind him while Baryl and Anisse were in the last row of seats. The monitors on the control panel flashed in response while the three men in the command station on their home planet appeared on a screen in front of the pilot's seat. "We've got a course set, all you have to do is follow our instructions and you'll be home before you know it."

Arpegius gave a thumb's up in reply before the image of the three men were replaced by a map with the course set to their planet. Anisse stared up at the sight of a different galaxy all around them and her heart began to flutter. This was really happening; she was going to Shep's home planet. "Neesy, don't worry." Baryl spoke from beside her and she glanced over at the drummer, his long brown hair was falling over his shoulders as it always did. He smiled at her and gave a reassuring nod. "Everything's gonna be fine. You'll see…"

Anisse returned his smile and nodded, her tears filling her eyes. "I know… I just can't believe this is really happening." She glanced up at the pilot's seat, where Arpegius had taken control of the ship and was following the course that had been set for them. Her gaze softened and her blush was instant. "I can't believe that I'm here with all of you…"

Baryl followed her gaze and started to laugh, the fact that she was so lovesick over his band mate was still a sight to see. His laughter faded as he studied her and looked at her for the first time in a long time. Despite her different skin tone, there was nothing truly different about her. She would stand out in a crowd that was for sure but after all that she had done for them; he really couldn't see her as anything else but his friend.

She caught his eye and blinked in response, her dark brows rising in faint surprise. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She reached up to rub her cheeks; her caramel skin was beginning to turn red from the blush that filled them. Baryl started to laugh again and he shook his head just as Arpegius pointed out to space. "There it is!"

Everyone glanced up to find the sight of a beautiful green planet, surrounded by rings, growing closer with each moment. Anisse gasped at the sight of it, noticing the three moons, a red, a grey and a blue one, that were off in the distance orbiting the planet. Baryl was beside himself as he let out a huge cheer, throwing his fists into the air. This was Shep's home, just like he had described it. It was so different from Earth and yet there was a beauty about it that Anisse just could not describe.

It wasn't long before they were cruising passed the rings that surrounded the planet and were entering the atmosphere. It was a bumpy ride but Anisse was too distracted to notice as the sight of the planet spread out beneath them. It was truly breathtaking, filled with lakes and rivers that were a blue-green in color. There were forests of alien plant life that Anisse had no idea what the names of were and here and there were the sights of towns and cities. They continued to fly closer to the planet and Anisse could see people below. They were pointing up at the ship, while a few on hovering machines were racing below them.

Arpegius glanced back at the others and smiled, recognizing a few landmarks beneath them as he guided Shep's ship toward the side of the planet that was beginning to have a setting sun. "The course was set for the stadium; I think they want us to play some music."

Octave laughed in response and held up his fist and nodded. "Well, we don't want to disappoint do we?"

Stella was smiling as Baryl jumped out of his and gave a thumb's up. "Let's go then! I'm aching to play that new song we've been practicing."

The excitement over the unexpected concert bubbled over as Arpegius guided the ship toward a huge city, its round buildings and large rounded towers gleaming under the setting sun. As they flew over the city, there were hundreds of people already lining up outside of a large round building that looked to be the stadium. Arpegius guided Shep's ship over a large, open skylight in the stadium's roof and set the ship to hover. "C'mon you guys, let's give them some music."

The seats glided back away from the cockpit and soon enough they were in a room on the ship that bore teleportation platforms that would send everyone down to the stadium below. Arpegius was behind the control panel and setting up the platforms to guide his band mates down to the stage below. Octave's keyboard and Baryl's drum set had already been sent ahead. Stella was the first to go, her bass guitar in hand. She caught Anisse's eye and smiled as she raised her hand. "See you down in the concert." She said before her form faded away in a golden light.

Octave was next and he winked at Anisse as he stepped on the platform. "Make sure you get a good seat Neesy, it's going to be pretty crowded down there." He smiled and then he was gone in an instant. Baryl was after him and he brandished his drumsticks while a large smile grew on his blue face. "This is going to be awesome Neesy! I can't wait until you get down there, hurry up!" He held up his drumsticks just before he faded from view and all that remained was an empty platform.

Arpegius was laughing as he set up the platform, his guitar hanging upside down from his back. Anisse was standing beside him, unsure of what to do. It wasn't until Arpegius hit the last button and took her by the hand that she realized they really wanted her to come. She hesitated for a bit and she blushed when he glanced back at her, his golden hair falling down over his eyes. "I should stay with the ship, we don't want it crashing down on the stadium while you're playing do we?" She forced a smile; her was heart pounding a mile a minute.

Arpegius laughed and pulled her close, cupping her chin in a firm hand. "Neesy, you've come this far… don't tell me you're getting cold feet now."

She pouted just a little and shook her head, at least she tried to, his hold on her chin was pretty firm. "I'm not getting cold feet I just don't want this ship to suddenly stop hovering and fall on you."

Arpegius laughed again and pressed his lips against her forehead. "This ship is set on autopilot. It'll land as soon as the last teleport is complete…" He leaned down close to her ear, his lips just inches away. "We want you here with us and that means taking this one final step…" He closed his eyes as he released her chin and buried his fingers in her dark hair. "I don't want you to leave my side… not once and not ever… I love you Neesy…"

She would have melted then and there had he not been holding her close. He moved to brush his lips over hers before taking her hand again and pulling her toward the platform. She studied his face and smiled before squeezing his hand, following after him without an ounce of hesitation. He pulled his guitar from his back and strummed a few cords while the platform filled with gold light. They glanced at each other and he leaned over to capture her lips in a sweet kiss just before they disappeared from sight.

--

The turnout for the concert was incredible but it was made even more so for the fact that Anisse was there to witness first hand. The moment that Arpegius had kissed her, the platform had activated and in a flash they were on a huge stage in the middle of an indoor stadium that looked as if it had been formed from a cave. Anisse had moved back to the edge of the stage just as the band was starting to play. Well, she supposed she couldn't have asked for a better seat than right on the stage. The song they played was the one that they had been practicing on board the ship and they played it flawlessly.

She stood with her hands behind her back as she watched the concert, dancing a little to the music while a large smile played on her face. The crowds were incredible and looking at the sea of blue faces that cheered and danced to the band's music, she knew she had done the right thing. After such a long journey, they had finally made it home… She glanced down at the white computer that she still wore on her wrist, the blue stone sparkling underneath all of the flashing stage lights. _Shep… no matter what happens I promise you that I'll always look out for them…_

She glanced up at the sight of the band playing their music, Stella and Arpegius dancing around the stage with their respective instruments. Pretty soon she was clapping her hands and dancing a little more to the beat, her dark hair swaying from side to side. She didn't realize that Arpegius was moving toward her, his fingers moving effortlessly over his guitar. She blinked the moment he swung behind her, moving his guitar over her head and trapping her between him and the instrument. She squeaked in surprise when he continued to play his guitar, his head over her left shoulder.

Stella was laughing when Arpegius began to slowly move toward the center of the stage, Anisse trapped between the guitar and him and trying her best to stay in step. Her cheeks were a deep red as he kept on playing and it only deepened the moment his lips touched her neck and he whispered in her ear. "I told you not to leave my side…"

She could only squeak in reply, which prompted a deep laugh from him that rumbled in his chest. After he just pulled this little stunt, she seriously doubted that she _ever _would leave his side again…


	20. Chapter 20

(A/n) Here is the very last chapter!

Thank you to Reikat for reviewing this story right to the end! It made writing it a lot more fun. I would love to do a sequel but I'll need to brainstorm for awhile about that one. If you have any ideas let me know! ^.^

A very special thank you to Sarah who had been with this story from the very beginning! I would have never finished it if you hadn't kept pushing for the next chapter. XD I'll be getting started on the first chapter of the Maetel fic this week, I still have a few things I'm working on.

* * *

Chapter 20

"Are you almost ready?"

"Give me a minute. I'm not used to wearing a dress."

Stella was standing in the middle of a bedroom, her long golden hair catching under the light of the round lanterns that were hanging from the ceiling. She had her arms crossed beneath her breasts as she tapped a white sandaled foot against the floor. Her orange dress swayed gently from the movement but the smile that played on her blue lips showed no signs of impatience. She was staring at an oval door, the light that shown from under the crack revealing a shadow moving back and forth. She started to giggle and gently shook her head. "Neesy, c'mon!"

"All right, all right!" The door opened and a young woman with caramel skin stepped out. She stood in the doorway and held out her arms, her grey eyes revealing the nervousness that she felt. "Well, what do you think?"

Stella dropped her arms as she stared at Neesy, her smile growing at the sight of the clothes she now wore. Neesy's petite form was draped in a dress very similar to Stella's save that it was blue. The white fabric at the shoulders and collar of her dress enhanced the darkness of her hair, which was left loose and spilled over her shoulders. A white head band with a large blue jewel in its center adorned her head and white sandals covered her feet, a few laces wrapping around her ankles.

Stella let out a squeal and she ran over to her friend, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "You look wonderful!"

"Ow, not so tight." Neesy winced and smiled a little when Stella pulled away, a question in her azure eyes. "I just finished the last of my vaccines today and my arms are still sore." She rubbed the sore spots on her bare arm, several tiny bandages evident of the shots she had received.

"I'm sorry Neesy, I forgot…" Stella blushed and giggled softly. It had been several months since the concert and just as the band had predicted, the people of their planet had welcomed the unexpected alien with open arms. It had taken awhile to explain to the ruling council why it was that an alien from a different galaxy was now among them. The story of Shep's rescue of the band and the alien that had helped him every step of the way had spread throughout the cities and towns. When he had sacrificed his life, Neesy had continued on the journey to finish what he had set out to do. In the end, she had chosen to remain with the band and it was a decision that had brought no regrets. The fact that the band had returned home in one piece with an alien in tow was evidence enough for this strange tale.

Neesy had been kept in isolation from the rest of the population for a month after the concert, a fact that had made Arpegius a little on the moody side. Stella had never seen her brother frown as much as he did during that time. It was understandable though since she was to be receiving the best of medical care. Since she was not from this world, there were illnesses and ailments that she would be susceptible to. It was a blessed thing that Neesy's anatomy was so similar to theirs. Save for the obvious little differences in genetic traits, she took to the vaccines very well and did not suffer any serious side effects. After the month had passed, she was deemed healthy enough to venture out into the rest of the world. She would have to visit the doctor every month to keep up with her vaccines but Neesy was just glad to see the band again. Stella would have to say that it was so funny seeing her brother absolutely refusing to let Neesy go the moment she left the hospital.

It had to take both Octave and Baryl to distract Arpegius enough so Stella could steal her friend away to go shopping for some clothes and necessities after the doctor's visit today. It was the first time they had been separated for longer than a day and Stella was laughing at how much Neesy was daydreaming, that look of longing on her face. She had refused to tell Octave and Baryl as to where she would be taking Neesy because knowing her brother he would have gotten the answer out of them one way or another.

"The ceremony is going to be starting in a few hours right?" Neesy's voice had brought Stella out from her thoughts and glanced over to see she had moved toward a closet and opened it. She stood on her tiptoes as she started to check the top shelf, reaching up to grab a book from the rest of the things that she had taken with her from Earth.

Stella's smile faded a little as she gave a nod; today there was going to be a memorial ceremony in honor of Shep. There was going to be a large statue erected in the city's main park in his honor and the band and Neesy were going to host it. "Yes, we're going to be meeting the others at the entrance to the park later…" She watched Neesy as she opened her book and turned to face Stella with a small smile on her face.

"I've been meaning to give this to you but with all of the excitement happening, I never had the chance." Neesy said as she closed the book with a smile before walking over to her friend and holding it out to her. "I had started these the first day I met Shep and have been drawing them since…"

Curiosity getting the best of her, Stella reached out to take the book and opened it. Staring back at her from the first page was a colorful sketch of Shep, sitting at what looked to be a couch in a living area. He was gazing at a book, his face displaying open curiosity at whatever he was looking at. She turned the page and found another sketch of Shep, this time he was staring straight at her and he was laughing, he looked so at ease. Stella continued to turn the pages and each one was of a colorful sketch of Shep, looking thoughtful, looking sad, smiling or laughing. The tears welled in her eyes as she glanced up at Neesy and gently shook her head. "This is… it's so beautiful… Neesy thank you so much…" She closed the book and hugged it close against her chest as she started to cry.

Neesy moved over to hug her friend close while her own tears spilled. "I wanted you to remember him the way I knew him, always filled with life and love." She pulled away and nodded to the book. "Open it to the last page…"

Stella opened the book and flipped through the pages until she reached the very last page. Her gasp escaped as she stared at the last drawing, it was of her and Shep. He was holding her close, his arms around her waist as they danced on the surface of a blue-green lake. She was wearing a beautiful white dress and they were gazing at one another with love and longing. It had been like the vision that Shep had shared with her in his last moments…

"Even though he didn't know you, he was in love with you. He never said it but it spoke with every gesture and every look…" Neesy placed a hand on her arm as she blushed deeply and looked away. "I wanted you to see how much he loved you…"

Stella gazed at her friend as she closed the book and gave a small nod. "I know… thank you Neesy…" She held the book close and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "Well, we should get going. I don't want my brother to think that I'm keeping you away too long. I don't know how long Octave and Baryl might last…"

Neesy giggled in response but her blush was deep. "I'm sorry… I never thought… I didn't think he would ever feel the same… Ever since that night in the car though…"

Stella was laughing as she hooked her arm through her friend's and they started to leave the bedroom. Neesy had been given her own house in the city; she actually lived not too far from Stella. It was funny how often Arpegius would drop by for a visit a lot more these days… "You know, I had heard from Baryl of what had happened but he didn't give any details. Exactly what had prompted my brother to declare his deep love for you?"

Neesy shook her head as she placed a hand over her mouth to hide the smile. "Well, it started as a disagreement…"

--

Stella had driven all the way to the park in a hover vehicle that seated two people. A few stragglers that were making their way to the park waved at Stella as they drove passed, a few calling her name. Neesy laughed a bit as she glanced back at the people and shook her head, her long, dark hair flying loose about her face. "People love you no matter where you go…"

Stella smiled in reply, her golden hair whipping in the wind as she made a turn at a street toward the entrance. She pulled up to a stop beside another hover vehicle and turned it off, it landed with a gentle thump to the ground and the two women got out. Neesy stared up at the night sky that greeted them, the gentle lights of the city seemed to enhance the view of the stars rather than detract from them. This place was so beautiful, everything about this city seemed to focus on building with nature rather than against it. The whole planet seemed to have more night hours than day, as long as Neesy could remember from her stay so far, her glimpses of the sun had been fleeting at best. But it did not detract from the beauty of it and she found herself painting more and more since she had arrived.

"Let's go find the others; they should be here somewhere…" Stella took her friend's hand and pulled her along so that she wouldn't get lost in the crowds. Not that it would be hard to find her; she stuck out like a beacon with her caramel skin among the sea of blue. They weaved their way through the crowds that were gathered around the main entrance. A few people turned to stare at Neesy as they passed, the looks on their faces filled with open curiosity. Some of them were braver than the others and waved to her in greeting. Neesy was blushing deeply by the time they had found the others. Some people had stopped Stella and Neesy along the way to strike up a conversation and the fact that Neesy replied fluently to whatever question they asked had some of them wanting to talk longer. A lot of them were curious about how she had learned their language and what her planet was like and as much as she would have liked to explain, there wasn't enough time to talk with them all.

"There you are!" Baryl was the first to notice them and he jogged over, the look on his face was somewhat strained. "I was wondering if you two had disappeared for good. He's starting to get a little moody." He paused when he took a good look at Neesy and he gave a large smile. "Neesy, you look great!"

"Are they here?" Octave had come over to join the group, he also looked a little strained and Neesy was trying her best not to laugh. His dark green eyes settled on her and his smile was gentle as he gave a nod in approval. "Those clothes really suit you…" He said and focused his gaze on Stella, a dark brow rising. "Stella, were you planning on keeping her away so long?"

Stella's smile was bright as she giggled and gave a nod. "He needs to learn that he can't keep Neesy all to himself, she's our friend too. They need a break now and then and I wanted to spend the day with her alone. We had a lot of fun with just us girls, right Neesy?"

Neesy smiled in response and nodded, her grey eyes bright. "It was a lot of fun… you know, we should do it more often." The look on Octave and Baryl's faces was priceless and the girls burst out laughing, knowing full well that the guys were not going to deal with another day like this one with a moody guitar player.

"What's so funny?" A deep voice spoke from behind them and they all turned to find Arpegius standing there with his arms folded across his chest. The girls saw the frown that played on his face and started laughing again, leaning in close to each other as they shook their heads. Baryl folded his arms behind his head as he rolled his eyes. "Women…"

Arpegius walked over to join the group and he glanced over at the guys in question before his azure eyes settled on his sister. She was wiping a stray tear from her eye as she hooked her arm through Neesy's and kept her close beside her. "Well hello there brother dear, how was your day?"

"Just fine…" He said as his frown deepened, knowing full well that his sister was trying to get on his nerves and of course it was working very well. He shook his head with a sigh and glanced over at Neesy, who was blushing the moment his gaze settled on her. He noticed her new clothes and a soft smile replaced the frown that had been on his face for most of the day. "Neesy, you look beautiful…"

Her blush deepened and she looked away, a deep sigh in relief could be heard from the guys. The couple had been reunited and now their night could go a little easier. Stella giggled softly beside Neesy; she was trying so hard not to laugh and failing miserably. Neesy supposed it was a good thing that Stella was laughing so much; she really enjoyed getting on her brother's nerves. Arpegius glanced at his sister and smiled just a little, knowing full well that he was being a little immature in regards to Neesy but he couldn't help the way he felt. "If you ladies have had your fun, the ceremony is going to be starting soon."

Stella nodded as she finally released her friend and went to go follow Octave and Baryl, who were walking toward the memorial. Neesy was smiling as she went to follow, feeling a familiar hand taking hers and holding her close. "I missed you today…" He whispered in her ear, which prompted the expected blush to rise into her cheeks. He laughed softly and squeezed her hand. "You really do look beautiful… it made the waiting worthwhile."

"You don't look so bad yourself…" She whispered in reply, he was wearing the orange shirt and pants with the white fabric on the shoulders and collar like the rest of the band. It was their signature mark for the band to wear since the style was slightly different from the styles worn by the rest of the population. Arpegius laughed again and kissed her head softly as they followed the others to the center of the park.

The crowds in the park were huge; they were all gathered around the platform that rested in the center of the park. On the platform was the memorial, it was currently covered from view by a grey wall until it was time to begin the unveiling. The small group had made their way toward the platform to meet with the a few members of the ruling council to begin the ceremony. The members consisted of two men and a woman, dressed in deep blue robes with the same white fabric on the shoulders and collar. They smiled in greeting to the band and shook their hands before turning to Neesy and welcoming her with a fist held over their left shoulder, bowing slightly. It was a sign of respect among them and it was something that Neesy still could not get over. She smiled and returned the gesture, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders.

"It's time." Octave said and the group began to climb the stairs up to the top of the platform. There was cheering and clapping from the crowd as the group turned to face them. Baryl gave a huge grin and starting to wave to them, it was so funny how he acted like a kid sometimes. Stella was standing behind him and she giggled softly at the drummer. She felt a hand on her shoulder then and glanced up to find her brother smiling down at her. "Stella, would you like to do the honor?"

Stella blinked in response and she looked over at Neesy, who stood beside her brother with a sad smile on her face. Her hand was gripped in his and she gave a nod in agreement to what Arpegius asked. "It would be so wonderful if you would…" She said, her smile growing a little. Stella smiled in reply and gave a small nod. They all turned to gaze up the covered memorial and she moved up to the panel that bore the logo of Shep's ship on it. She pressed a slender, blue hand on the panel and it flashed once. The grey wall that had been covering the memorial spiraled down and out of sight to reveal a large statue of Shep. He was gazing up at the sky with his right fist over his left shoulder and his helmet under his left arm. He was smiling softly, a smile that Neesy knew so well. The people who had been made the statue had actually asked for her opinion in helping to create the right image. She was so happy to see that they had decided to have the soft smile that he had often made when thinking of Stella on his statue.

Three ships flew through the night sky and over the park, leaving a trail of rainbow light behind them as they made the light show in honor of their comrade. The cheering rose as everyone stared up at the hero who had given his life. Many people had their fists over their left shoulders and bowing in deep respect while others clapped and cheered. Neesy was crying as she stared up at her best friend, her grey eyes sparkling from the gentle lights that surrounded the statue. She felt a strong arm around her shoulders and she glanced up at Arpegius as he held her close, an understanding smile on his face. She wiped away the tears and rested her head against him as she gazed up at the statue. Everything in her life had changed the moment Shep had staggered into her life, where before there had been nothing but grey in her life now all Neesy could see was a rainbow of color. Beautiful, shades of every color…

--

Music was pumping from every corner of the club as lights flashed and people danced. Neesy sat at the corner of a bar, nursing a drink that glowed a faint purple. She was smiling as she watched Octave dancing in the middle of the floor, showing that aside from singing and playing a mean keyboard, he had some moves that were driving the other girls in the club crazy. She stirred her drink as she looked over to where Baryl was laughing loudly as he talked with a few friends, slapping his hand on his thigh as he shook his head. Neesy had come to know that Baryl was the jokester of the group and he could always be found telling either some really good jokes or really bad jokes to a group of people who didn't get any of the punch lines. She shook her head with a smile as he started waving his hands around, apparently he was going into another joke and this one was probably going to be as bad as the others.

"Are you going to sit here all night?" Neesy looked up to find that Stella had taken a seat beside her, a drink of her own in hand. She had a gentle smile on her beautiful blue face as she tilted her head to study her friend.

"I'm not much of a dancer…" Neesy replied as she sipped her drink and shivered in response, it was really strong but it had taste that was faintly sweet. She smiled at the golden haired bass guitarist and raised a dark brow in question. "What about you?"

Stella laughed softly as she stared down at her drink and shook her head. "I danced earlier… but I saw you here all alone and thought you needed the company."

Neesy nodded and both women fell silent while the music played on around them. Stella didn't need to ask where her brother was, she could see him across the dance floor. He was surrounded by a bunch of his friends and laughing as they went on about whatever they spoke of. Stella noticed the soft smile that played on Neesy's face and she blinked in question. Neesy noticed her friend staring and she smiled at Stella. "I just realized that… all of my dreams so far. The swirling stars, the dancing people in rainbow light…" She gazed out at the crowd and nodded to them. "It was this… I had been dreaming about this place for weeks and I never knew until now…"

Stella's mouth formed a small "o" in response, understanding why it was that Neesy was sitting so thoughtfully by herself. She was taking in the moment that she had been dreaming of and savoring it, her dreams had become a reality in a very strange way. Stella smiled and looked out at the dance floor to see Octave pulling off a particular dance move that she wouldn't even dare try. "You should go and dance, the music is great and everyone is having fun. You're hanging out with us now so expect to be dragged to a lot of nightclubs like this." She caught Neesy's eye and smiled before both women started to laugh.

"Excuse me…" They looked up to find the bartender standing in front of them with an easy smile. He focused his gaze on Neesy, taking in the sight of her caramel skin with open curiosity as he set a couple of drinks down on the counter in front of them. "This is for you. It was from those gentlemen right over there." He smiled at Neesy and pointed over to where a group of men were sitting at the opposite end of the bar. Their eyes were on Stella and Neesy and they smiled and waved, one in particular had his eye on Neesy and he raised his drink to her in greeting and winked.

Neesy blinked in response while Stella was giggling at the dumbfounded look on her friend's face. "Did… did those guys just buy me a drink?"

Stella's giggles turned into laughter at the deep blush that stained Neesy's cheeks. "You would not believe how many guys I'd overheard talking about you all night. You should take it as a complement." She started to laugh harder as Neesy's mouth open and closed, the shock on her face was priceless. "Apparently some guys find you to be very exotic. They've never seen a woman like you before. My brother's going to be having a tough time at keeping you all to himself."

"Stella!" Neesy nudged her friend and started to laugh with her, it seemed living here was going to be more interesting than she imagined. "I can't believe you would say that…" She shook her head as she finished the rest of her drink and set it on the counter. "I thought you were so innocent too…"

Stella giggled and sipped her drink. "I have my moments…" Her smile grew when the lights on the dance floor turned low and gentle white lights were beginning to spiral around the dancing people. The music had turned slow and gentle and soon enough couples had come together to start slow dancing. "I love this song…" She said as she set her drink aside and got to her feet. The song was sung by a pretty woman with long green hair, she was standing on a stage on the far side of the nightclub with her hands on her microphone as she swayed in time with the music. "I'm going to go dance for a bit, will you be ok?"

Neesy smiled and nodded. "Have fun." She said as Stella gave her friend a wink and walked off to disappear into the dancing crowd. Neesy had taken the drink that had been set for her, a light blue concoction that had tiny sparkles floating in it and stirred it, listening to the woman sing about a lover's kiss and a night of passion. A moment passed before she noticed a familiar tall form emerge from the crowd on the dance floor. The lights that spiraled above the people looked like swirling stars and the lights above gave the impression that they were glowing with different shades of colors.

Neesy smiled as Arpegius stopped in front of her and took her drink out of her hand. He set it on the counter and took her by the hand, pulling her out of her seat. "Dance with me…" He said as he pulled her toward the dance floor, his smile sure as Neesy followed after him and into the crowd. He spun her around once before pulling her close, his arm wrapping around her waist. He held her hand as he led her in a wonderful dance with the other couples. His golden hair fell over his brow as he rested his head against hers, his eyes focused on hers. "I'm so glad you're here with us Neesy…" His smile grew at the blush that rose up in her cheeks and he laughed before taking a step back to twirl her around, the skirt of her blue dress swirling about her legs. He pulled her back and caught her chin in a firm hand. His azure eyes flicked between her grey ones and his smile softened at the sight of the deep love he saw there. "I love you Neesy…"

Her smile grew at those words and she reached up to brush the gold hair from his blue face. "I love you so much Arpegius…" She whispered in reply and felt her heart skip a beat the moment he leaned into kiss her. The kiss deepened as she moved her arms around his neck to pull him closer, everything around them falling away so that the only thing that existed was the two of them dancing in a sea of swirling starlight.

Stella smiled at the sight and she caught the eye of the singer on stage and gave a nod in thanks. The woman smiled as she continued to sing, winking to her friend. Stella sighed softly as she watched her brother and her friend in their loving embrace, dancing to the beautiful song that played. If there was one thing that Stella was glad of, after all that had happened and all that they had been through, they had gained a lifelong friend out of it all. Her smile deepened the moment she saw her brother spin Neesy around the dance floor before pulling her back and dipping her. Neesy's laugh rose up from the little stunt, the sound drifting up over the music. Stella had the feeling it wouldn't be long before there was going to be a new member joining the family. She had always wanted a sister and weddings were always so much fun.

"Hey Stella!" Baryl called over to her and waved to her, his smile was huge as he beckoned her to come over. "I just heard the greatest joke ever! You have to hear it!" Stella blinked in reply and caught Octave's eye, who was standing behind the drummer. He shook his head and moved a blue hand across his throat, the universal signal that it was a really, really bad joke. Baryl caught the funny look that Stella was giving him and looked behind him to frown at the vocalist. "Hey, Octave! I saw that!"

Octave dropped his hand and forced a smile, feigning an innocent look as the light caught on his curling, dark hair. "What?"

Baryl frowned and folded his arms across his chest, looking a little crestfallen until he caught sight of Arpegius and Neesy on the dance floor. His smile lit up at once as he dropped his arms and ran over to them, his brown hair flying behind him. "Hey Neesy!"

"Oh no…" Stella giggled as the drummer stopped in front of the couple and Baryl, ignoring the deep frown on his band mate's face, started telling Neesy the joke. Neesy blinked in surprise as Baryl started making swimming motions with his arms before throwing them up and pretending to choke. A heartbeat passed before unexpected laughter rose up after the punch line of the joke. Neesy was laughing with Baryl and shaking her head while the drummer slapped his hand on his thigh.

Baryl looked over at Octave and threw his fist in the air in victory. "See? I told you it was funny!"

Octave was shaking his head in defeat while he laughed. Stella smiled the moment she saw Neesy gaze up at her brother when Baryl had turned is back on her, shrugging in response to whatever he asked. Arpegius deep laugh rose up and he pulled Neesy close in a tight hug. Octave waved his hand to his band mates and beckoned them to follow. "C'mon you guys, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."

Stella went over to meet with her brother and Neesy as they made their way through the crowd. She caught Neesy's eye and raised a slender brow in question. "Was the joke really that funny?"

"Don't ask…" Neesy replied, which prompted a deep chuckle from Arpegius. Stella smiled knowingly but said nothing else as the group left the nightclub and stepped out into the night, a deep dark sky filled with stars greeting them. Off in the horizon, a pink star sparkled more brightly than the others, watching the group before it shot off into the distance, a trail of pink light fading behind it…

Fin


	21. AN

(A/n) Well apparently this story is still popular 2 years after it's completion. I noticed many of you didn't have I way I could respond since this site had made replying as PM only for reviews.

So, here is a thank you to many who have read, reviewed and favorited this story.

The grammer wasn't all that great and my writing wasn't as it is now but still people liked this story. I thank you so much.

It's fun to read back on this and think what an adventure it was. There were parts I felt I should have done differently and perhaps still can. What do you think? I'll leave it up to you all.


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